“Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day”
I once heard that babies born today will have absorbed more information by the time they turn 6 years of age than their grandparents would have in their whole lifetime. Technological advancements have made a huge difference to access to information.
I remember not so long ago, researching for any school projects involved flipping through volumes of Encyclopaedia Britannica that my dad bought for my brothers and I. Today, it would be mad not to simple “Google it” for an immediate answer. Getting answers to life’s questions will only get easier and faster and it seems that the speed of life is heading in that direction as well.
Our world seems to crave instant gratification. In any aspect of personal and professional growth, we all want to know the quickest way that we can achieve the results. Just take a look at the Health and Fitness industry. It generates billions in revenue each year and tipped to continue growing. If there was a magic pill that could immediately make a person better in any area, I have no doubts that people would buy it. In most cases, the quick fix solutions will get results. However, as John Maxwell explains “…if you want lasting improvement, if you want power, then rely on a process.”
If you studied highly successful people, a common trait is that they all would have a very good process which they follow on a daily basis. For the select few who are truly experts in their field or profession, it is their adherence and commitment to a strict process which leads to their success.
In 1995, I was introduced to and become good friends with Kate Slatter, one of Australia’s top rowers, when we both lived in Canberra. She was at the Australian Institute of Sports preparing for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. Kate would be up at 5 am every morning so that she and her rowing partner Megan Still could be on the glassy waters of Lake Burley Griffin to meet the sun at dawn when they would begin their training. Some of those mornings, the temperature would be sub-zero and for most of us, the option of staying in bed under our warm doonas would be a far more attractive option. For Kate and Megan, staying in bed was not an option. Their commitment to their chosen sport, to their coach, to their highly structured training plan, and to each other, saw them go all the way to the pinnacle in winning the gold medal at Atlanta in the coxless pairs.
In order to become better at leading, it is no different to training for the Olympics. Just as Kate needed a training plan and a coach to ensure that she was getting faster rowing on the water, if you would like to win in business, we too, need a leadership development plan and a leadership coach to help us get better at leading. How successful you become as a leader will be determined by your daily agenda. Do you set aside time each day to train as a leader? If not, why not open your diary now and start today.
By Ivan Ang
Ivan Ang is the Director of 10X Leadership and a Founding Partner of the John Maxwell Team. His passion and purpose in life is to help leaders of all ages make the transition from success to significance. If you have any questions on leadership or would like to join a Mastermind on Leadership group, contact Ivan at ivan.ang@10x.com.au.