LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it's holy ground." Stephen Covey

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This idea of GROWTH is interesting to me. We're going to spend a few weeks talking about it, but personally I'm being challenged to not simply "be content" with where I'm at today. I want to always be growing and developing. What about you? To see past themes, visit my blog HERE.

Covey's quote here really resonated with me today. In fact there's another line to this quote that simply says: "There's no greater investment."

Covey has impacted my growth since my early days of graduate school through his book and work on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. When I first read that book, I realized that as a young leader, I needed to grow. That started me on the journey of being a life-long learner, however as I get older, I find that it's easy to stop learning and just be content with where I'm at.

Today, as I contemplate this quote, these words are true: "self-growth is tender; it's holy ground."

I believe for each of us, this might mean something different.

I think in my younger days, I attacked personal growth with a vengeance, trying to consume as much as possible, working to build my resume, my portfolio and my toolbox. It was all about learning so I could leverage that into success in some way.

I think today, it's about being purposeful and identifying things that I still want to grow in, but also being very selective into where I'm spending my time, energy and resources.

I want my growth to count! This is why it's "tender & holy".

I don't want to waste my time, but I want to be always growing.

What does personal growth look like for you?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"A Community is a group of people who agree to grow together." Simon Sinek

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This month I want to explore some quotes and ideas around the theme of COMMUNITY. This is a topic I've been thinking a lot about lately, and as I explored some thoughts on it I drove me deeper. To see past themes and blog posts, visit my website HERE.

I'm going to finish the series on Community today, and Sinek's quote just sums it up so well.

I love that he defines Community as a group of people who AGREE to grow together. That word is really important.

We all belong to different Communities, but it's when we AGREE to being a part, that we go to a different level...

• Agreeing means that we want to be there, want to be a part

• Agreeing means that we'll make an effort and contribute in some way

• Agreeing means that we're looking for something deeper

• Agreeing means that we're willing to work at it

• Agreeing means that we're willing to make ourselves vulnerable

• Agreeing means that we are IN

I believe that many of us are involved in Community, but we haven't AGREED to bring all that we can to facilitate growth and life to others.

I just spent 4 days with a Community of Leaders at the Leader Mundial Global Summit.

This year, 67 Leaders and Coaches, from 15 different countries and over 40 different organizations AGREED to come together to grow together.

What happened was difficult to measure:

• We grew as we worshipped together & prayed for one another

• We grew as we learned from each other and shared our stories

• We grew as we laughed and cried together

• We grew as we encouraged and celebrated each other

• We grew as we listened to each other

• We grew as we played together and just spent time together

It was a time of DEEP COMMUNITY that resulted in SERIOUS GROWTH!

What Community have you AGREED to engage in, resulting in growth?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Alone, we can do so little; Together, we can do so much." Helen Keller

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This month I want to explore some quotes and ideas around the theme of COMMUNITY. This is a topic I've been thinking a lot about lately, and as I explored some thoughts on it I drove me deeper. To see past themes and blog posts, visit my website HERE.

I've shared this quote from Helen Keller before. It's a powerful truth that we need to be reminded of over and over again.

This doesn't mean that we can't do anything on our own. The idea is that in comparison with the potential that might come from a Community, what we accomplish by ourselves is "little".

Sometimes we have to do it alone. We start things. We build things. An idea or dream begins in us and we have to start someplace.

Doing things by yourself is a critical part of every organizations growth, but at some point there needs to be a transition...

• Others are brought into the vision

• People gather around you to support, encourage and engage

• As momentum builds, people buy into the growing purpose and plan

A Community is born, and then it's not just you anymore.

There are others who care about what's happening, who want to help, who want to play an active role, who want to bring value.

I recently shared with a leader that no one will ever care about their vision and organization as much as they do. He was the founder, the leader, the initiator, the pioneer.

They may not be able to care at the same level, but they care, and they bring incredible value, power and energy.

Who is rallying around you and your vision to help you accomplish all that God has placed in your heart?