OPTIONAL BUT NECESSARY

I’m sure you’ve heard it before.  People say it all the time.  It’s almost become a cliché… “Change is inevitable, but growth is optional.”  But is it really?  Is growth really optional?

I’m not so sure that it is.  I can’t really see any benefit to not growing.  When something or someone isn’t growing, they are either dying, have gotten stuck, and/or are getting left behind.   That doesn’t seem acceptable to me.  In fact, as a leader when you stop growing you stifle those that you are expected to serve.  Your department or organization suffer and then you have a number of slow simmering problems that come deep-rooted and take significant force to change. 

A stagnant leader can easily be the cause of employee turnover. People with a growth mindset will not thrive under a paralyzed leader – so they leave.  Those that don’t leave lose their zest and then they become bitter, disenchanted, or just unmotivated.  Is that what you want?  Is this the legacy that you have worked so hard for?

Please don’t be that leader.  Be the leader that invests in your own growth and the growth of others.  Read often, listen to podcasts, attend conferences, enroll in courses, expand your professional circle... Do something that is going to challenge your thinking and open you up to new ideas and information.  Your team is counting on you and whether you recognize it or not, you are counting on you too!