03 Sep Spring is a time to grow

It’s spring – but are you growing? Are you better today than yesterday? Will tomorrow take you further than today?

People generally stop growing taller somewhere between the ages of 15 and 21 (wider sadly has no age limit). But what about mental, intellectual and spiritual growth? These are elements to which age is no barrier. In fact, great leaders are those who never stop growing, but are intentional about it.

But where to start?

In his best-selling book, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live them and reach your potential (2014), leadership expert John C Maxwell shares fifteen principles that can help each of us become the person we were created to be, the person living up to the potential contained in us. He identifies key laws, such as becoming aware of who we are and who we can be, and provides practical steps that show us how we can build awareness, reflect on what’s important, explore our opportunities. Each law (see table) is explained and then illustrated with numerous real-life examples that bring the concepts to life. And each chapter is concluded with a practical action plan that can help us put the laws in practice in our own life.

The book is written in the down-to-earth style that has characterised the 70+ books this prolific writer has completed in his long career. Whether you read it through quickly from one cover to the other, skip around chapters based on your current needs, or dip into the same chapter multiple times, this is one of those books you can easily read over and over, and see fresh revelation and new insights every time.

Are you living up to your potential? If you think there should be more, you’re right.

LUNCH N LEARN

And now you have opportunity of joining me, Jürgen, an independent John Maxwell Certified Speaker and Coach, on a 15-week exploration of the laws and how you can apply them to YOUR personal growth. Each week we recap one of the laws, consider the implications for you, and discuss tools and strategies that can help you become a more intentional leader and grow your leadership capability. Find out more at https://bit.ly/2Z31PSb.

The 15 Laws

The Law of Intentionality: Growth doesn’t just happen. You must be intentional about it.

The Law of Awareness: You must know yourself to grow yourself. The first step in change is awareness, then you can change.

The Law of the Mirror: You must see value in yourself to add value to yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others and limit your own self talk that is negative.

The Law of Reflection: Learning to pause allows growth to catch up with you. Peter Drucker says it like this: “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”

The Law of Consistency: Motivation gets you going–Discipline keeps you growing. Develop the good habits that lead to success. Just showing up is 80% of success; some people just don’t show up. You can beat them pretty easily by just being consistent in showing up.

The Law of Environment: Growth thrives in conducive surroundings. Mark Cane says: “The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment you first find yourself in.”

The Law of Design: To maximise growth, develop strategies. Jim Rohn says: “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you will fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? NOT much.”

The Law of Pain: Good management of bad experiences leads to great growth. You must suffer pain to realise a gain. No pain, No gain. No investment, no ROI.

The Law of the Ladder: Character growth determines the height of your personal growth. Doug Firebaugh says: “Achievement to most people is something you do…to the high achiever, it is something you are.” Be great!

The Law of the Rubber Band: Growth stops when you lose the tension between where you are and where you could be. W. Somerset Maugham says: “Only a mediocre person is always at his best.” If you aren’t stretching yourself than you aren’t growing. Don’t let the rubber band become limp.

The Law of the Trade Offs: You have to give up to grow up. Eric Hoffer says: “People will cling to an unsatisfactory way of life rather than change in order to get something better for fear of getting something worse.” The difference between where we are and where we want to be is created by the changes we are willing to make in our lives.

The Law of Curiosity: Growth is stimulated by asking Why? Ask more questions. The old saying: Those who can do will always have a job, and the people who know why, will always be their boss.

The Law of Modelling: It’s hard to improve when you have no one but yourself to follow. Find a mentor and look for a coach. You can’t learn from someone who hasn’t been there before. Find the people who have been there and done that and ask them lots of questions.

The Law of Expansion: Growth always increases your capacity. We all have the capacity to do more and be more.

The Law of Contribution: Growing yourself enables you to grow others. You can’t give what you don’t possess.