During the recent Simulcast, several people indicated that they would like to receive a leadership email. So WILD is launching this newsletter. Feel free to send this to others that you feel would benefit from some leadership information. Please share feedback with me on what you think about what is written. If you do not want to receive this email, just email back and I will take you off. Thanks, Mike Prom
DO YOU HAVE A PLAN?
When going on a trip to a place you have not gone before, you would grab an atlas or go online to Mapquest. That way you know how to get to your destination.
Two summers ago, my son had a baseball game several hours away and I needed to figure out where the ball diamond was. Once I found the ball field, the next task was to determine the best way there. Of course, Mapquest had it down to the exact miles.
I could have ignored checking with a source that was able to give me directions and it would have cost me time and gas($$$). Yet how often do I let my life go along haphazardly, saying, “If I get there, I get there.” If you are like me, we do not want to let this happen but if I am not intentional about where I am headed, there is a high probability that I will not get there.
Do you desire to grow and develop as a leader? If yes, then know that it is a process, not an event that will help you develop. What do you have in place right now to help you grow, or what are you doing to make developing your leadership skills and insight a priority?
It is easy to gather books (or lists of books) and never get around to reading them. With technology, maybe it is a group of training CD’s or a number of podcasts you are planning to download, but it is not happening. I have been there with my twenty to thirty books waiting to be read and ripped out magazine pages of this or that leadership seminar I was hoping to get to that simply sat on my desk.
I had to come to the conclusion, nothing was going to get done if I did not prioritize developing myself into my life. Everyone of us is very busy so if you are introducing something new into your life, most likely, you will have to take something out. Secondly, too often we tend to start too big, meaning you tell yourself that you are going to read a book or listen to a training CD for 30 minutes a day (sounds like trying to exercise). After two days you are frustrated because you were able only to do this activity for 15 minutes the first day.
Okay. Reevaluate your goal of maybe a shorter time and a lesser frequency. So you decide to read or listen for 15 minutes on Monday and Thursday evenings at
This probably seems so elementary but it works and the great thing is you can build on those simple, initial steps. Following this plan can amaze you in time of how you are developing and some priorities are changing. One other key is to be specific of when, where and the duration of the activity you plan to do. There are a few tools that can assist this process. If interested, feel free to contact me about them.
ILLUSTRATION
To Make the Most of your Time, Make the Most of Yourself
Robert Zemsky and Susan Shaman of the
QUOTES
The whole point of developing a personal growth plan is to intentionally and proactively
experience life-changing action in specific, doable steps. Bill Allison
When we are foolish, want to conquer the world. When we are wise, we want to conquer ourselves. John Maxwell
Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others, as what he does from day to day to lead himself. Thomas Watson
Most people don’t lead their lives, they just accept them. John Kotter
You will never change your life until you change something you are doing daily. John Maxwell
Things don’t better by chance, they get better by change. Subway Restaurants
