Today I attended the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast. It was a great day and I heard a lot of great speakers and learned a lot of great stuff. If you have an opportunity to attend next year, I highly recommend it. One thing that really stood out to me was from John Maxwell.
John Maxwell is probably the most famous Christian leadership expert, but he was just a regular guy working a regular job. He had breakfast with a mentor who asked John, "What is your growth plan?" Maxwell had no growth plan--in fact was unsure what a growth plan was--and began to seek out how others were growing and developing in their life.
The difference between the respected leadership author
and just another guy was a plan for self development.
Planning To Grow
I don't know the secret to growing, but I do have a few ideas:
Take Some Classes. Community colleges offer inexpensive classes, many workplaces offer free learning resources, and there are many inexpensive conferences you can attend. These classes don't have to apply directly toward your intended career, just make sure you broaden your mind, learn new critical thinking skills, learn how to understand things from a different perspective, and, of course, it never hurts to take a class or two that will directly affect your career.
Read Some Books. Books are free at the library, many lesser-known books are very inexpensive or free from the Kindle or Nook store, or you can spend a few dollars at a local bookstore and pick out a good book. Similar to the classes you can take, you don't always have to choose books based on your field, but it never hurts.
Talk To Someone Smarter Than You. One thing that Maxwell said is that you should never be the smartest person in your group. If you are, then you need to find a smarter group. Spend time with people smarter than yourself and do everything you can to learn from them.
How Can You Be The Next John Maxwell?
The difference between the famous Christian author and another Christian professional is a personal growth plan. What can you do to be the next John Maxwell? Do you have a personal growth plan? What other tips can you offer to add to a personal growth plan?
