What Drives Growth?

One of my top five values is Growth!  I work for John Maxwell, so how could I not love growth?    It demonstrates progress, it seems synonymous with life (especially living  life to the fullest), and it is often  wrapped in passion (another one of my values).

I am privileged to work with a team that is passionate about continual personal and professional growth.  At the John Maxwell Company, we celebrate it, we expect it and we “sell” it!  Growth is within the very fabric of our organizational mission, company values, and the daily disciplines driving our business.  Our team is most fulfilled when we share stories of a client’s personal or professional growth.

What is it that drives growth?  As important as it is have a growth mindset or attitude, I believe growth is a byproduct or outcome of a series of intentional practices that leaders and teams do as a part of their daily routine. 

There are many other things that go into a growing yourself, but I believe growth is driven by Consistency, Celebration and Challenge!

1. Consistency

The most successful growth of an individual, team or even a manufacturing plant is the concept of consistency.  It’s the DAILY commitment to a set of decisions or disciplines that create the greatest amount of tangible results.  The leader that develops a plan has completed a very important step in the process of growth, but it is the leader that develops a plan and implements that plan that grows.  We are witnessing that firsthand at the John Maxwell Company.  For the past two years, we have met as a team on a weekly or bi-weekly basis discussing and applying John Maxwell content with a goal of professional and personal growth.  The results are amazing in both personal confidence and team production.  We believe the growth is as much a result of the consistency as it is the content!

2. Celebration

My six-year old daughter is small in stature but makes up for it in confidence and competitive juices.  There is no greater time of celebration around the Cole household than when we stand Maci next to the door jam and measure how much she has grown in the last three months .  She loves to grow, she loves the results of growth, but mostly she loves the childlike excitement Dad and Mom express about how much she has grown..  There is a little kid in each of our leadership development journeys that loves the significance of progress.  If you don’t celebrate your growth or drive excitement around your team’s growth, you are missing a key element to its sustainability.  .  “That which gets rewarded gets done”.  Growth is no exception.  If you want a culture of growth in your team or a discipline of growth in yourself, learn how to “throw down” with enthusiasm about advancement!

3. Challenge

I love this statement that John Maxwell has been making in speeches lately:  “If you are at the top of your class, you need to change classrooms.”  Essentially, if you are not challenged, you will become complacent.  You will stop growing and you will become stale or stagnant.  What have you done lately to challenge yourself to grow in a specific area of character or in a targeted competence?   I am proud of our team!  We have developed a comprehensive plan that challenges you to unlock your potential.  The Maxwell Plan for Personal Growth is centered around   John Maxwell’s idea(s) on growth.  If you don’t have a plan, I encourage you get a plan, implement a plan and begin to celebrate growth.  The Maxwell Plan for Personal Growth is a great start because it will challenge you to become a better, a more effective version of YOU! 

I encourage you to start growing TODAY.  Develop daily disciplines that consistently focus on growth.  Celebrate every measure and ALL evidence of growth. And challenge yourself with a growth plan that will yield results in your effectiveness.