The Importance of Personal Growth and Development
Our theme for the new year is evolution.
In a world that constantly challenges us, our growth and evolution become critical to our facing what’s ahead with confidence and competence. The pursuit of becoming our best selves is a continuous process filled with self-discovery at every turn in the pathway. Our journeys are our own AND the people along us on our journey can be an incredible support system.
Join us as we look inward, outward, and onward toward our goals in 2024, evolving along the way into the best personal and professional version of ourselves.
LOOKING INWARD, OUTWARD, aND ONWARD
For those of you who follow our blog, you'll remember that I frame my intention for the year and share it. Last year, I chose simplicity.
I was asking questions such as: How can we live expansive lives to our fullest potential? How can we minimize stress and strain through our own ingenuity? How can we grow our leadership influence?
A year ago, these were important questions as I was leading our team to navigate complexity and find a path forward through simplicity—and remain important questions.
This year, I am asking different questions:
- How do I develop myself to feel more integrated and balanced?
- What are the needs of those around me, and how can I help them shed the skins of the past and level up?
- What impact might I have if I can inspire other leaders to have more significant impact and influence?
For those of you who know me, you know I believe words matter and knowing the meaning of words has power.
The theme of evolution is powerful.
Evolution has two definitions:
- The first is the process by which living organisms have developed and diversified from earlier forms.
- The second definition is the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form.
In the second definition, I was faced with the duality, or contrast, of “moving from simple to complex” when in 2023 my intention was simplification. However, I’ve concluded that to “diversify from an earlier form” to something new, we must first simplify.
In retrospect, I believe I made a great deal of progress in 2023 of finding ways to cut through to the heart of what really matters and find efficiency in my life and work.
Looking forward, I personally, see the opportunity to evolve in three distinct areas: inward, outward, and onward. Let’s take them one-by-one and look for ways we can all evolve in 2024 and beyond.
Inward
In the spirit of continuous improvement, I recently went through another 360-degree assessment using The LPI: Leadership Practices Inventory. It had been a few years since my last assessment, and much has changed in my own leadership context, so I wanted a new baseline.
Whenever I have participated in assessments like this, I am reminded of the words of Confucius: "By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."
I have found that "reflection" has always helped me avoid the easy path and at least some of the bitterest path. It has been an ennobling process, and I am looking for tangible and practical ways to evolve my leadership this year.
As you look ahead to 2024, when is the last time you've assessed the frequency of your leadership behaviors? It can be daunting or even scary if you had a bad experience in the past; however, perhaps now, after all we have experienced, it might be the right time to reflect and reset—to give yourself a new baseline. If this resonates with you, consider an assessment and coaching process to help you gain clarity on how to best evolve your leadership going forward.
Outward
In this realm, I've been contemplating how I spend time.
Given my own journey, I've historically run hard and divided myself in too many places and directions. As I evolve how I spend time, I'm thinking about quality over quantity and driving to deeper levels of connections. To achieve my personal mission and leadership philosophy, along with my vision for FlashPoint, I recognize that increasing my impact and helping others reach their full potential requires time and depth, not breadth. For 2024, I'm actively seeking opportunities to invest time with the intention of making an impact.
As you consider how you spend your time, is it in places that align with your values? Are the people you are spending time with both givers and receivers? Is the time you are spending getting the impact you desire? If not, why not? Do you have the emotional intelligence necessary to deal with the demands of leadership? What a great time to evolve how you spend time.
Onward
This arena is acute for me—where am I going, and how do I lead my team there?
I became acquainted with the story of George Washington Carver's life a couple of years ago. A man born into slavery, not even knowing the year or day of his birth. He was sold, passed around, and kidnapped during his early years. He navigated an educational system that refused him at every turn. He became an agricultural scientist, inventor, and environmentalist, one of the most prominent scientists of the early 20th century. On his grave, it reads: "He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world."
This resonates with me.
As I think about my "onward," it is essential to tell the stories of those who have faced great peril and exclusion that I could only imagine and still found their footing to achieve greatness.
My favorite quote of his is this: "Where there is no vision, there is no hope."
Hope has been two of my year-long intentions over the last several years. Because of this, over the last year, I have led FlashPoint through our upcoming brand refresh that will evolve our positioning in 2024 and beyond.
So, for you, what is it that has you excited about 2024 and beyond? What is your vision for this next chapter of your personal or professional life? How will you move onward to your next evolution?
I'm excited to hear more about your journey and the incredible impact you have had and will have on those around you.
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