Are You Learning to Lead?

One of the best indicators of a business' potential success is found by taking a careful look at the leader or leadership. The ability of a business to grow and continue to grow is in direct proportion to the leader's current level and his or her ability to expand that level. It has often been said that leaders are not born, they are made.

Perhaps in taking that further we can say great leaders are not just made, they are taught. So, is it possible that the best leaders are the best learners? Does the learning ever stop? Hardly.

The truth is, once a leader has stopped learning -- he or she may also have stopped leading. True leadership is a life-long pursuit and like any worthwhile pursuit, it takes time to get really good at it. One must spend some time practicing and getting results at a particular level before earning the right and the experience to move to the next level.

John Maxwell refers to this as The Law of the Lid. In short, the lid is the top or ceiling of your leadership ability. Since your organization or business cannot rise any higher than the level of your leadership, raising your leadership lid is critical. With no further growth the business stagnates and your leadership becomes less and less effective. If a business isn't growing -- then it is dying.

A dedication to continuous learning and mentoring is the best way to raise the lid and expand your level of leadership. Facing the current reality of where you are and taking responsibility for where you want to be is the first step in moving to the next level.

So be a dedicated learner -- an eager student of great leaders and great leadership material. Having a coach and being part of a leadership mastermind group can help you increase your learning and identify and address the inevitable blindspots that all of us have developed.

Be accountable. Be a high-level learner. Be a high-level leader. Are you learning to lead?

Are You Getting Paid To Think?

How many times have you heard someone say something like: "I'm not paying you to think, I 'm paying you to do!" Hate to admit it, but I've been on the receiving end of that comment a few times. As a young teenager, I worked in a family restaurant -- and often thought of ways to make my job easier. Sometimes my little experiments worked and sometimes they didn't. But one thing was for sure, the failures always got the most attention -- from the boss. Then would come the famous question: "What do you think you're doing." Which was  usually followed by a fairly sheepish answer. I guess as a young employee, he really wasn't paying me to think. But what about now?


As business owners, it is our responsibility to shift from an employee mindset to that of a strategic business owner -- a CEO. Why is this so important? An employee or technician usually works only in the "now" and does the work assigned. A CEO is working from a much bigger perspective -- the "future." For a business to truly grow, the owner has to see the "big picture" and get out of the daily detail rut.

Strategic thinking is some of the hardest work you can do. That's probably why so few really dare to do it. It takes discipline and stamina and a total willingness to experience a few failures along the way. However, the rewards can be great for those who make the commitment.

So ask yourself: "Are you getting paid to think." Be bold and break out of the daily detail rut.

Here's a favorite quote: "The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth." - Gerald Burrill.