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Three Principles of Growth

-One Leader’s Perspective

By Greg L. Thomas

This month we celebrate the 3^rd anniversary of weLEAD and our publication of the Online magazine. We are very proud of our monthly ezine and the many excellent contributions made by various authors, consultants and leaders. The weLEAD “Tips of the Month” section of our site has received much acclaim and it is now our most frequently visited page, after our main home web page! This month we are pleased to have an article by Dr. J. Howard Baker. He is the dedicated editor of our sister site weLEADInLearning. This month’s article from Dr. Baker in weLEAD is a special treat since he wrote an article in our first issue in January 2001! He also wrote for every issue our first year and occasionally continues to write for this publication. A special thanks to Howard for his generous contributions as a servant-leader.

In this article I hope to share with you some of the things I have learned about leadership growth during my past three years of working with weLEAD. I will call these “three principles of growth” and they can apply either to your personal growth or the growth of an organization. These principles are centered on one central fact. Leaders don’t change organizations, leaders change people. In turn, changed people are what change organizations!

Let’s begin with the first principle of growth. Growth has the potential to be infinite. We tend to limit the abilities of others and ourselves! This is a destructive carryover from the days of rigid hierarchal organizations that once dominated western society. In these structures it was believed there was only “so much” talent available. There was a limit to what people could be or do. The managers had to look over and paternalistically treat others like they were irresponsible children. This nurtured a finite mentality toward others. It created an “us and them” attitude. Because people’s abilities and potential was viewed in limited supply, anyone who demonstrated unusual talent and was not at “the top” of the organization, was perceived as a personal threat! So-called leaders were more concerned or obsessed with protecting their power and position…so everything was limited…praise, training, opportunity and value.

Any good farmer knows this “limited” viewpoint of others is simply not true. People and their potential are analogous to the planting of seeds. If you take a bushel of good seed and plant it in the ground, in one year’s time you may get 10 bushels in return. Next year the 10 bushels can become 100 bushels. The following year 100 bushels may become 10,000 bushels! Of course people, like seeds, have basic needs to begin their growth and sustain their growth! As a leader don’t look for the limitations in yourself and others, look for the potential. Don’t make the mistake of labeling or limiting others. Instead…encourage, teach, mentor, befriend others and you will be surprised how they can rise to the opportunities provided for them. Servant-leaders aren’t afraid or threatened by talented people; they like to surround themselves with talented people! They don’t view others as inadequate or put labels on “them”. The belief that people possess good ideas and great potential is part of a servant-leaders value system.

Now on to the second principle of growth. Learn to appreciate the fact that growth is gradual, so be patient! We tend to lack patience and give up on people, ideas or challenges far too early! It is human to want results “right now”. Perhaps this is a negative side effect of our “instant” society. Marketers tell us that we can replace a real breakfast with an instant breakfast, we drink instant coffee, we can communicate with “instant messenger”, we can get instant credit, and we can become wealthy by playing the instant lottery. But there is a price to pay for these shortcuts we choose, either in health, our relationships, or financial stability. There is a price to pay for taking the easy way out or cutting corners to get important things done. Just look at the example of so many entertainers, politicians and athletes who have self-destructed after “time and chance” artificially thrust them into prominence or wealth. .

Here is the truth! Things that really last, and things of solid value or quality take time! Some of the oldest living things on earth are the giant sequoia trees found in Sequoia National Park in California. Some of these trees are over 2,500 years old! This means that a few of them were saplings during the Persian Wars between the ancient Greek and Persian empires even before the rise of Rome! When we look at the towering majesty of these trees it is hard to believe they were ever small and insignificant. It took time for these trees to grow from insignificant to majestic, and the same is true of ourselves, other people and our mission in life.

Some of these sequoia trees are over 300 feet tall, have a girth of over 80 feet and a crown of over 100 feet in diameter. This means they grew only an average of about 1.4 inches per year during their life time. When they were 10 years old they were less than 15 inches tall, but look at them now! Don’t be impatient and judge things too quickly. Yes, miracles do happen, but don’t look for miracles; expect steady and gradual growth.

Stay “the course” of your life, or your mission, and with commitment you will end up on top, just like the mighty sequoias. A strong healthy body develops slowly when we exercise and practice sound health habits. A vigorous and creative mind develops from constant and disciplined study. There are no shortcuts to building a productive life! Cling to your beliefs and principles, and allow time to provide an environment for natural growth.

Then there is the third principle of growth. Growth is neutral without direction. It is written that Adam and Eve chose to eat fruit from the tree of “good and evil”. This means that the human race, including us…is a complex mixture of “good and evil” thoughts, attitudes and motives. Unless we give direction toward where and how we grow, we may not like the end result! Good decisions today will eventually reveal themselves as sound results tomorrow.

There is an old parable about a proud and powerful eagle that landed one cold day on a log floating down a river. Even though the day was bitterly cold, it was sunny and the eagle appeared to enjoy its ride on the log upon the moving water. As time went on, the river water turned from a smooth flow to a rapid stream. It continued to become restless because a steep agitated waterfall was just ahead. The eagle obviously knew the waterfall was approaching due to the rushing current and increasing noise. However, the eagle boldly stayed on the log until the very last second and he waited until the log reached the precipice of the waterfall. At the final possible moment, the eagle spread its wings to fly but it was too late. The eagle’s feet had frozen to the bottom of the icy log! The eagle waited too long to make a decision and choose its own future. Life demands decisions and for most of us that is the most difficult part of living. The question is…who or what will we allow to make the crucial decisions in our life?

To return to the farmer analogy, what we sow we will reap!

Farmers don’t purposely plant bad seed and when they plant corn they don’t expect to see wheat grow out of the ground. If our leadership is poor or if we neglect doing the things we should, we will be disappointed with the results. Take charge of your life and choose where you want to go and what you desire to become. Remember, time will always decide what we are unwilling to decide for ourselves! I guarantee you may not like the decision that time decides for you.

This is what some folks refer to as the “river of time”. Day by day decisions and opportunities come our way. Each of them presents the option to make a decision. If we fail to make a choice, the passing of the time will make it for us. In the river of time we need to be the deciding factor, and not the flow of the current! The current provides movement, but not necessarily in the direction we desire. To rely on chance, or hope for luck is to invite disaster. Often times we may experience feelings of guilt not from things we have done, but from things we left undone. Clear your mind of the guilt, learn the lesson and resolve to take control right now! Promise yourself that you will be the deciding factor in your life and head toward where you want to go, and how you want to grow!

In conclusion, I hope these “three principles for growth” provide you with food for thought. Many people define leadership as the ability to make bold visionary decisions in order to accomplish great goals with like-minded followers. However, it all begins by being willing to make bold decisions regarding ourselves! Perhaps the decisions regarding our own personal growth are the most difficult of all.

Thanks for being a part of the weLEAD readership and family.

Comments to: editor@leadingtoday.org

To see all Greg’s articles click here.

About the author:

Greg has an extensive thirty-five years experience in public speaking and has spoken to hundreds of audiences worldwide. Greg has a Master of Arts degree in Leadership from Bellevue University, where he also has served as an adjunct professor teaching courses in business management and leadership since 2002. His first book, 52 Leadership Tips (That Will Change How You Lead Others) was published in 2006 by WingSpan Press. His second book, Making Life's Puzzle Pieces Fit was published in March 2009. Both are available at amazon.com. Greg is also the president of Leadership Excellence, Ltd and a Managing Partner of the Leadership Management Institute. Leadership Excellence, Ltd. effectively builds individuals and organizations to reach their highest potential through enhanced productivity and personal development using a number of proven programs. He is also the president and founder of weLEAD Incorporated.