Leadership-Just Grow

Leadership is a word that I was encouraged to understand at an early age, because my teachers told me I had it as early as 1st grade. Now, I am not too sure exactly what they saw in this intelligent, not-afraid-to-speak-up, inquiring mind. But they obviously saw something, which happens to be the same thing my parents saw in me when they encouraged me to run for student council when I entered middle school, or what my coach in high school saw in me when he asked me to be captain of the team. One thing I know they saw was perseverance. Learning from history lessons, most leaders in all walks and professions of life have to learn never to give up. Lincoln, Edison, Einstein, King Jr., Gates, and Paul the Apostle all have great stories of never giving up. Leadership is about growing, and never giving up. If you rest leadership it will become atrophy, just like a muscle if you stop working it out. Ive been thinking this year on ways to grow my leadership. A part of that process is finding new ways to do old things, as well as disciplines that are nothing new under the sun. This year my list of leadership growth includes: reading more, listening for details, pushing through the wall, building people up, studying , practicing life disciplines, and writing out & completing action steps for each project. My leadership must grow or it is in a stagnant or shrinking process. I challenge myself and you to persevere and just grow in 09.