Every effective leader I’ve ever known recognizes one simple truth: to remain at the top of your game, you must commit to an intentional plan for continual self-improvement.
There is no such thing as stasis in the world in which we live. Everything is changing and changing fast. To remain relevant as a leader, effective leaders know they need to learn and grow or be discarded as obsolete.
Lou Holtz, the Notre Dame football coach, once admonished his players, “In this world, you are either growing, or you’re dying, so get in motion and grow!” Holtz insisted players know where their strengths lie, have a specific plan to build their skill sets, and then work on their personal development plan.
The same is true for all effective leaders, whether they are leading in businesses, government services, non-profits, or faith-based institutions. You’re either growing or dying. You’re either advancing your knowledge and skill sets to meet future needs, or you’re on the fast track to becoming irrelevant and obsolete as a leader.
Intentional Continuous Improvement
Assuming you want to remain an effective leader, you need to have an intentional, purpose-driven plan for continuous improvement.
- Intentional, Purpose-Driven. Your self-improvement plan needs to be well thought out, intentional, and focused on a specific purpose or desired result. In terms of my leadership, it might be fun to take a dance class, but learning to do the foxtrot won’t help me be a better leader.
- Continuous Improvement. Because the world is in a constant state of change, we need to be in a constant state of continual improvement. The Japanese call it “kaizen.” Always seek improvement even in the smallest increments because over time these small improvements yield impressive results.
To build your intentional plan for continuous improvement, you need first to assess where you are and determine where you want/need to be. Second, your self-improvement plan needs to narrow the gap between where you are and where you need to be.
The Effective Leader 4-Part Growth Plan
Solomon, the man God gifted with wisdom, repeatedly tells us that effective leaders are wise precisely because they seek knowledge.
“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance” (Proverbs 1:5).
“An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15).
“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning” (Proverbs 9:9).
It’s hard to ignore such plainly stated truth. To be an effective leader at the top of your game, you need to seek wisdom, understanding, and knowledge and apply it in your life.
As you construct your self-improvement plan, consider building it to answer these four questions:
- When do I need to grow?
- Where do I need to grow?
- Who is helping me grow? And,
- How will I apply what I learn?
1. When Do I Need to Grow?
Ask yourself, “Do I need to grow to meet an immediate need or meet a future need? Do I need to learn how to handle sales objections for a presentation I’m making next week or for a sales role I anticipate having next year?
The timing of the need will undoubtedly have an impact on your plan. Either way, though, you need to plan in advance. As the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us, a wise man sharpens his ax before he needs to use it.
“If the ax is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success” (Ecclesiastes 10:10).
2. Where Do I Need to Grow?
The second question to ask yourself is, “Where do I need to grow? Specifically, what skills do I need to learn?”
This is the close the gap question. What skills do I need to obtain to close the gap between where I am and where I need to be?
Solomon reminds us that a man skilled in his work is well-regarded for their expertise!
“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men” (Proverbs 22:29).
3. Who Is Helping Me Grow?
The third question to ask yourself is, “Who will help me grow?” We all benefit from having someone come alongside us and help us, either to encourage us or to be a partner in our growth.
Even Paul, the most accomplished evangelist of the first-century church who wrote 13 books of the New Testament, referred to Titus as his partner in presenting the Gospel to the world.
“As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ” (2 Corinthians 8:23).
But there are folks you want to exclude because they will detract from your personal growth plan. Paul warned the Corinthians not to partner with people that didn’t share their vision.
“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).
4. How Am I Applying What I Learn?
Learning for the sake of knowledge is not productive. So, the fourth and last question to ask yourself is, “How will I apply what I am learning?” Your personal self-improvement plan needs to focus on action.
Remember Holt’s admonition to his player, “get in motion and grow!” It doesn’t do any good to have a lot of head knowledge if you don’t put that knowledge to use in a practical way!
The apostle Paul told the Philippians that they needed to practice what they learned!
“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9).
If you don’t put what you learn into practice, it’s nothing but a waste of time and energy. Skills have to be applied to make a difference!
More Articles on Leadership Development
I’ve written numerous other articles on leadership development. To read them, you can search for “leadership development” in the search bar. Here are a few of my most recent favorites:
- #366: Is Mentoring a Biblical Approach to Leadership Development?
- #339: Do You Know Why Most Businesses Ultimately Fail?
- #301: The Man Who Went from Insecure Doubter to Powerful Leader
- #295: What to Do When Your Boss Is All Hat and No Cattle
- #294: What is the Most Important Attribute of Inspiring Leaders?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Do you have a self-improvement plan in place? If so, is it purpose-driven and focused on continuous improvement, answering the four questions posed here?
I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because of people like you who share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?
Category: Skills | Leadership Development
Your post paired well with a Wall Street Journal article today about reverse mentoring, whereby senior executives should pay attention to younger, junior advisors. Why? The younger employees often have a better sense of cultural and societal shifts, trends, new technology, etc. It’s tempting to rest on one’s laurels, but as your post notes, we need to keep growing.
I’ve never heard it referred to as “reverse mentoring,” but I like it! As a leader, I always made a practice of engaging younger folks in problem-solving discussions. They often had unique ideas, not bound by convention, and the “we’ve aways done it this way” attitude of some of the more experienced folks!