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by Laura ChamberlainAre you in an environment where you are growing as a leader?
Before you answer this question, I want to describe what I see as a growth environment. It's not a natural place, but rather, a place you must create.
A growth environment is a place where other people are ahead of you. It is a place where you feel stretched.
I started playing racquetball while I was in university, and but even though I continued to play then when I started working full time, I found that I had plateaued in my playing ability. So I asked one of my colleagues who was a seasoned racquetball player to play with me. Birgitte agreed, on the condition that she would never play down to my level. The result? I advanced in my skills because I was constantly stretching to get to Birgitte's level.
Let me ask you:- Who are your heroes?
- What is it about them that you want to have exemplified in your own life?
- ·How are you stretching to become like them?
Uncomfortable is good!
A growth environment is a place where you are out of your comfort zone. A couple of years ago, we were on holidays in Mexico with another couple. The two guys decided that they would try parasailing. My girlfriend flatly refused…but what did I do? I decided to get out of my comfort zone and just do it. And what happened/ I had a fantastic experience because I was able to realize, in part, what the freedom of a bird's flight is like.
Let's get personal. What is it that God is urging you to do, but you have been ignoring, because it would blow you out of your comfort zone? Something I've learned over the years is that I never grow or develop when I am feeling comfortable.
Re-defining failure
A growth environment is a place where failure is not feared. Most people think that success is learning how to never fail. That's not true. Every leader is going to fail and every leader is going to make mistakes. It's inevitable. But success comes from learning from failure. Failure needs to be viewed as an opportunity to begin again, more intelligently. Failure only truly becomes failure when we don't learn from it.
Finding a partner to grow with
A growth environment is a place where others are committed to grow. In my personal development as a leader, I have found it very necessary to attach myself to someone who is committed to grow and change…and to be accountable to them. Now, I'll be honest in saying that the person you are looking for will not always be easy to find, but it is well worth the prayerful search.
For four years prior to moving to Kentucky, I was blessed to have Donna as my prayer partner. We are different in many ways but share the common denominator of our love for God, our desire to serve Him and our care for each other. In four years of sharing, tears, Scripture reading and prayers, Donna held me accountable to the changes I committed to. She asked me tough questions about my motives and my pursuit of holiness, and she gave me unconditional love. I did the same for her.
Leader, who is your prayer partner? Who are you accountable to?
Ways to make personal renewal a priority
A growth environment is a place where you learn to "sharpen your saw."
What does that mean? It means if I'm trying to cut down trees with an axe or a saw that is dull, I'm going to be putting out more effort than ever before…and have absolutely nothing to show for it! Now, if I were to take the time to carefully sharpen that saw or axe, my work would be so much more productive. Did you catch the key phrase? "If I were to take the time."
Sharpening your saw entails renewal. It involves enhancing the greatest asset you have-you!
There are four dimensions of our nature that require care:
1. Physical- Renewal of our physical nature requires good nutrition, sufficient rest and relaxation and exercise. I have strongly promoted the idea of 30 minutes of physical activity every day. We don't have time not to. The benefits of exercise are: building endurance, having more energy and less fatigue and finding normal activities more enjoyable.
2. Spiritual- This is my core, my center. I need daily renewal in prayerful meditation on the Scriptures because they represent my value system. When we take time to draw on the "leadership center of our lives" and what life is ultimately about, it spreads like an umbrella over everything else.
3. Mental- What do we do with our minds? With many people, after formal education ends, TV watching takes over. TV can be an addiction and a complete time waster. That's why continuing education can be vital for mental renewal and perpetual growth.
4. Social/emotional- Renewing this dimension doesn't take time like the other three, but it definitely requires exercise as we interact with people every day. Health in the social/emotional dimension requires intrinsic security. Intrinsic security, or personal security, comes from within. It comes from living a life of integrity in which our daily habits reflect our deepest values. It also comes from being able to carry out effective interdependent living.
Lastly, intrinsic security comes from service, from helping people in a meaningful way. The late Dr. Hans Selye, in his monumental research on stress, basically says that a long, healthy and happy life is the result of making contributions, of having meaningful projects that are personally exciting and contribute to and bless the lives of others. His ethic was, "earn thy neighbor's love."
In the words of George Bernard Shaw, "I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die…Life is no brief candle to me. It's a sort of splendid torch which I've got to hold up for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."
Your attitude, your choice
Lastly, a growth environment is a place where you choose to be responsible for your attitudes. A positive attitude is one of the most valuable assets a person can have in life. Attitude comes down to a daily decision: what attitude will I choose to walk through life with today?" The person with a positive attitude is the person who will inevitably grow because he or she wont' accept the normal limitations of life like most people do.
Take Nicolo Paganini, the colorful 19th century showman and gifted violinist. One memorable night, we was standing before a packed house, playing through a difficult piece of music. A full orchestra surrounded him with magnificent support. Suddenly, one string on his violin snapped and hung down from his instrument. He frowned, but continued to play, improvising beautifully.
To the conductor's surprise, a second string broke. And shortly thereafter, a third. Now there were three limp strings dangling from Paganini's violin as the master performer completed the difficult composition on the one remaining string. The audience jumped to its feet and in good Italian fashion, filled the hall with shouts and screams, "Bravo! Bravo!" As the applause died down, the violinist asked the people to sit back down.
Even though they knew there was no way they could expect an encore, they quietly sank back into their seats.
He held the violin high for everyone else to see. He nodded at the conductor to begin the encore and then he turned back to the crowd and with a twinkle in his eye, he smiled and shouted, "Paganini…and one string!" After that he placed the single-string Stradivarius beneath his chin and played the final piece on one string as the audience (and the conductor) shook their heads in silent amazement. "Paganini…and one string!" And, I might add, an attitude of fortitude.
No matter what anyone does to you, no matter what your future holds, you can choose your attitude. No one can ever take that away from you. You can choose…give up or go on, endure, or feel sorry for yourself, become bitter, or forgive.
Now that I have described the growth environment to you, is this where you are living? Or does it challenge you to make some changes in where you live?
To read part 1, "A Passion to Grow," click here.
For part 3, "A Plan to Grow," click here.
Laura Chamberlain is a trained physiotherapist with an extensive teaching background. She is a writer and speaker, and has been a university lecturer. She is also a certified prenatal instructor and works part-time as a physician's assistant for her husband, an obstetrician /gynecologist. Click here to e-mail Laura.
