I hope that those of you who have followed or known me for a while have seen, in my writing, a bit of a transition over the years. My personal website has been live for about two years, and that is the source location for this and all of my previous blog posts. For the past 3 years, I have done a lot of internalizing of some significant struggles in my life. As someone who leans towards an introverted personality type, my tendency is to self-reflect and in many ways overthink when real or perceived mistakes are made. Although there is value in the self-reflection, staring at the mirror for too long causes one to lose sight of what is really important.
This may be the first time you are seeing my musings, or you may have read this stuff from me for the past 2 years. I have a few consistent messages.
Never stop growing…sprint, jog, walk, shuffle, crawl, claw away with your fingers and toes…whatever it takes, never stop growing
Mentors and Mentees…we all need to teach and be taught
We are all leaders…you may have children, siblings, nieces or nephews, coworkers, athletes, fellow parishioners, neighbors, a spouse, or parents who are looking to you for guidance, direction, and motivation
What does this book have to do with the stuff above? Each indispensable quality builds upon the foundation of core leadership principles. They will all aid in your personal and professional growth if you will let them. This book has been the inspiration of nearly all of my topical posts in the past two years. I have sought to intentionally absorb the lessons and apply them to my life. Also, in taking the time to type out and share those lessons on my blog site, I am able to better retain these lessons for long-term use.
Leadership is not complex. Leadership is basic principles being lived out in your daily actions and interactions. Leadership is about building relationships that go deep, are authentic, and open to being vulnerable. Leadership is not easy, it takes work, sometimes it can be messy, it can feel lonely, other times it will provide you with more pride and joy than you dreamed possible.
Pick up this book, absorb it slowly, ruminate on each of the qualities covered. If you desire growth in relationships (professional and personal) and you have others who are in your care, the benefits you will receive are innumerable.