Lessons In Leadership: Always be Willing to Grow
Lessons In Leadership: Always be Willing to Grow
Embracing Professional Development, Asking for Help, and Accepting Accountability will take you far.
This essay is one in a series titled, “Lessons learned in Leadership.” In this series, I will discuss lessons I have learned in my leadership journey. I don’t have all of the answers, and to be honest, I don’t most of the answers, so if you would like to contribute to this series with some of your own lessons, feel free to message me. For last weeks essay, click here.
If there’s one thing I discover with painful regularity, it's that it's easy to call yourself a “leader,” but being a good leader is really hard. Leadership will challenge you in ways that will push you to the brink; no matter what happens, you can get through it if you are willing to learn, grow, and change. Below are three things to do if you want to keep improving as a leader.
Look for Professional Development Opportunities:
The best problem solvers are the ones who stay curious. Having curiosity in the work is important because it shows you are open to learning new things. No matter how good an approach is, things and people change. To respond to that, you can’t be stagnant. Consider taking some classes to help you sharpen a skill, look for professional development fellowships, and talk to your peers. If you continue to be willing to learn, your potential to grow will be unlimited.
Set the Culture by Not Being Afraid to Ask for Help:
There will be moments where you take on more than you can chew or are feeling like you are stuck in the mud on a project. When that happens, don’t withdraw - ask for help. Asking for help gets you a fresh perspective and can help you identify the things you don’t know you don’t know. You will find the most success when you’re on a team where everyone is invested in each other’s growth. Additionally, when you are willing to ask for help, it shows your team that they should be as well.
Accept Accountability:
No matter what you do or how hard you try, you will mess up. I don’t mean to be so dark, but it’s true. You are not perfect, neither am I - literally, no one is! Making a mistake or falling short on a goal doesn’t reflect on you as a person. We all fall short, but the difference between good leaders and bad ones is that good leaders learn from those moments, accept accountability, and then change their behavior. Your actions must speak as loud as your words.
If you can commit to doing these things, there is no limit to what you can do.