Kids

Successful leaders excel in the area of self-leadership. They live their life as if they are responsible for their own growth and development. They are not waiting for someone to mentor them. They are actively seeking the wisdom of those around them.

They are not complaining about the lack of learning opportunities that their employer offers them. They are proactively going after opportunities where they can grow and gain new experience.

Successful leaders are learners. If you want to create your own personal development plan, then it needs to be a learning plan.

I learn the most from experience!

I always grow and learn the most when I fully experience new challenges.

When I have to plan for it, budget for it, prepare for it, do it, problem solve it, ask others for input, make mistakes, correct them, rally a team, cast vision, and evaluate the end result…then I learn.

There is no better teacher than experience.

How to learn from experience:

1. Volunteer for a challenging project.

2. Approach it as if you have much to learn.

3. Gather a team of wiser more knowledgeable leaders and listen, observe, and work beside them.

4. Plan like crazy.

5. Pause and think before reacting to a problem.

6. Throw yourself into the middle of the work – don’t supervise – DO.

7. Pay attention to what you are learning.

8. Evaluate the end result.

9. Ask for the feedback of others.

10. Repeat.

I learn from reading, listening to podcasts, and attending conferences. But my all-time greatest growth and learning has come from taking on a new and challenging project and DOING.

There is nothing that can replace the certainty you feel when you have experienced a specific set of challenges. The understanding that you gain from knowing and doing accelerates your growth and learning like nothing else.

So the big question is…. What challenging project will you volunteer to take on this year?