We live in a day and age where we are bombarded by advertisements for products or services claiming to be the silver bullet for success in business, weight loss, and romance. You name it. The list goes on and on. Some products may provide genuine value. That will be for you to decide.

When it comes to Leadership, there are many things that can help you along the way, but only one thing that will truly determine how successful you will be in your leadership journey. It will be the one thing that will determine how high and how far you will be able to go. The one thing that will be the greatest indicator of your success as a leader will be your ability to lean in and learn. 

Studies after studies have shown that the most world-renowned leaders and communicators are the ones who never stop learning or growing.

Imagine fresh hot bread from the oven, glistening with melted butter or smothered with your favorite jam. You can almost taste it before it even reaches your lips, and then, when you finally sink your teeth into that delicious treat, you find that it is nourishing, and your body responds in grateful appreciation.

Like that fresh hot bread, a leader who has an insatiable hunger to learn and grow is inspiring and nourishing to those around them. They are an encouragement to continue on one’s learning journey as they model that there is always more to learn and never-ending opportunities to grow. They impart knowledge that will help those around them grow to the next level of their learning journey as they endeavor to step onto their own personal path of their potential.

A true leader is self-aware of his or her strengths, weaknesses, and growth opportunities. While confidence is good, they never cross the line into arrogance.  Arrogance says I know it all and refuses to learn. The day we think we have arrived will be the day we have the biggest lesson to learn of all.

Self-aware leaders are humble enough to know that they haven’t arrived in any area of their lives. They intentionally lean in and cultivate their strengths and passions as they endeavor to operate in those areas as much as possible.  They recognize their knowledge deficits and lean in and learn. They see gleaning from those who have gone before them – done a given role or had similar leadership responsibilities – as a true gift. They recognize their areas of weakness or struggle and endeavor to identify others who are strong in those areas and utilize them with gratitude because they know it will be a win for the team.

A leader who is not self-aware in these areas will significantly limit themselves and their growth potential. He or she will be like the Emperor with No Clothes. Those around the emperor knew that he had no clothes on. Sadly, the emperor did not. The same is true for a leader who does not recognize or is unwilling to acknowledge his or her knowledge gaps or learning opportunities. Like the Emperor with No Clothes, it will be a painful experience for those around them.

Imagine moldy stale bread – all green and fuzzy. While it might be able to offer some penicillin or other antibiotic value,

I guarantee you it will not taste good or provide much nourishment to those who partake.

Some individuals fear acknowledging knowledge gaps. They have somehow come to believe that they are bad things, and yet they are not. They are only bad when we fail to recognize and acknowledge them.

When we recognize our knowledge gaps and we lean in and learn, there will be those around us who will be happy to help us grow on the path of our potential. What was once seen as a deficit could very well become our silver bullet in our leadership journey.

I encourage you to lean in and grow in a fresh new way. You will be amazed at how bright the future will become for you as the sky will be the limit for you as you endeavor to step on the path of your potential.

The BEST IS YET AHEAD!!

Committed to Your Success,