LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Learn continually - there's always 'one more thing' to learn!" Steve Jobs

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.

Steve Jobs challenges us in the quote above to "learn continually", and while this is good and makes sense, to hear it from someone like Jobs who was so focused on innovation, we need to be reminded from time to time.

While Jobs may not have been the best leader at all times, he pushed his people to continually be learning, to be asking questions, to be approaching things from different perspectives, and to never settle for just "good". He was on a mission to create products that changed peoples lives, and he did this, over and over again.

We also saw Jobs "learn" along the way. He learned about his leadership, he learned about what worked and what didn't work, and he learned to trust people to help them pursue a compelling vision for his company.

I've read a number of Steve Jobs biographies over the years, and he did a great job of asking questions along the way, of surrounding himself with people who were smarter than him, and as technology changed, he changed.

I remember when I graduated from High School, I thought to myself, "I don't have to go to school anymore." It was now my choice to learn in a formal classroom or to be "done". I went to college...

I remember thinking at college graduation, "I don't have to go to school anymore. I'm done". Then I went to grad school...

I remember thinking when I finished my Masters, "I'm done learning. I have the degree". Then I kept learning through books, seminars, certifications, and all kinds of things....

Learning is a posture. It's not always tied to formal education, and I'm so thankful I went on to study and learn through a variety of methods and opportunities.

I am a life-long learner because it makes me a better leader and a better person.

How do you approach life-long learning?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Personal growth is not a matter of learning new information but unlearning old limits." Alan Cohen

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.

When I saw this quote recently, I immediately resonated with it.

There are times that I want and need to grow, but I'm 100% limited by my habits, my past experiences and my unwillingness to let some things go.

The other day, I had to replace a headlight bulb on my car. I had replaced one years ago, and it was in a really awkward location, and I remembered how difficult it was.

I went out, and exactly as I did those years ago, I struggled to get it done, until about an hour into the project, I remembered what I had done before.

I quickly finished putting the bulb in and the truck back together.

I then pulled up a YouTube Video on the process, and the first thing the video said would have saved me an hour of work, and it was the thing I had figured out years ago.

I'm sure that never happens to you. I think if I do things the same way, I'll be able to figure them out. When will I learn? When will I remember?

Sometimes to move forward, we need to take a look back first.

How do lessons from your past help you with your future?

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?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for air, water, and food." Dean Ornish

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.

This is a powerful quote from Dr. Dean Ornish. As we talk about the importance of Community, these words just resonate.

Ornish also said this:

"Group is about connection, not correction. We do not need to be fixed. We need to feel loved."

We all long to belong to something. A place where we feel safe. A place where we feel valued. A place where we're missed if we don't show up. A place where we're accepted for who we are.

This is a fundamental need in each of our lives.

However we've also seen the unhealthy side of Community: jealousy, bitterness, competition, fake flattery, posing, hiding out, disengaged connection and emotional restraint.

I don't have a need for that kind of Community, even though there is plenty of opportunity to be a part of that.

Do you have real Community? Is it meeting your fundamental needs?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own." Henri J.M. Nouwen

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.

The quote above from Henri Nouwen is just worded so well. I love that idea, "Community is the fruit of our capacity...", the idea that Community is so sweet, so wonderful, so important, when we approach from an unselfish perspective.

I don't know about you, but there are Communities that I'm connected with that I often approach for what I can get out of them as opposed to what I can contribute. Sometimes it's my church, sometimes it's with friends and sometimes it's with an organization I'm serving, but I've learned that it's really easy to allow my own personal needs and interests to become my "agenda", and this is wrong.

I need to approach each of these Communities from a different perspective, a perspective of what are the interests of others, and how can I make sure that people are being heard and their needs are being addressed.

If I'm only looking out for myself, I often don't have the ability to even think about what is going on with others in my Community.

Super simple: If I want any community that I'm a part of to be the best, I need to be a person who is thinking of others and modeling that behavior for everyone.

I wish I wasn't so selfish!

Think of 3 ways you can place others needs above your own in one of the Communities you're a part of.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love." Brené Brown

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

It's February and this is the last quote focused on SELF-CARE. You can read this month's posts HERE.

This quote from Brené Brown just hit me this week.

It might be because of all the chaos going on in the world around us.

It might be because of peoples brokenness and the ongoing struggle to just survive some tough circumstances.

Whatever it is, Browns quote here just hit me.

Often, I do the opposite. I'm my biggest critic, and I often whine, beat myself up, push myself and ooze negativity all around me when I fail, when I don't accomplish a goal, when I struggle, when I don't perform, when I fail again. I just rip into myself.

Fortunately, in full disclosure, I'm also able to turn that around and recover. I don't stay there long, and once I recognize what's going on, I'm able to adjust and climb out of the abyss.

I know that for many, you get stuck and have a really hard time getting out.

As we close a month of just talking about different aspects of self-care, I want to encourage you to do what Brené Brown prompts us to do:

"Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love."

Change your tone, give yourself grace, and don't be your constant and loudest critic!