As the leader of your organization, I assume you know the value of hard work. After all, you probably wouldn’t have made it to your current position without some sense of internal drive and motivation and a willingness to work hard.
Whether you’ve started your own organization, or a series of promotions landed you in your current job, once you’ve found yourself in a leadership position, your work has only just begun.
It is your responsibility as a leader to help your organization continue to grow and flourish. This may include strategic planning and setting goals for future endeavors. Team accountability may also fall under your jurisdiction.
However, in order to truly support and grow your organization, investing in your own leadership skills is essential.
According to renowned leadership expert, John C. Maxwell:
“The strength of any organization is a direct result of the strength of its leaders. Weak leaders equal weak organizations. Strong leaders equal strong organizations.
Everything rises and falls on leadership!”
You don’t become a leader without hard work and investment in your own professional development. However, too many leaders stop taking the time to invest in themselves and their own professional skills after they’ve landed a high-ranking position.
In these situations, their professional growth and the growth of their organization may plateau. Their day to day job becomes maintaining the status quo, rather than working for greater success and achievement.
Unfortunately, as John C. Maxwell has pointed out, when a leader is no longer learning and growing, the organization will inevitably suffer. The strongest and most successful organizations are the ones whose leaders understand the importance of continued growth and development and model this for their team.
If you are a leader looking to take your professional growth to the next level, here are a few important ways to move beyond the status quo and continue making forward progress:
- Seek Out A Mentor
If you are in a position of power or authority, there’s a good chance you are a mentor for other people. While this is an excellent way to give of your knowledge and talents for the good of others, it’s important to remember that you also can still benefit from having a mentor. There is always someone who knows more and is further along the journey than you. Their wisdom and advice could be exactly what you need to continue growing as a leader.
- Collect and Use Personal Assessment Data
The only way to ensure that you continue growing as the leader of your organization, is to take stock of where you are currently and identify key strengths and areas of growth. Utilizing high quality assessments can provide the information you need to make strategic moves for future growth. To learn more about the benefits of collecting assessment data, take a look at my blog post Why Assess.
- Attend Professional Development Workshops or Summits
Professional development workshops and summits are an excellent way to learn new information and find resources that can enhance the work you are doing and add value to your organization. Whether you attend in-person events or virtual summits, these opportunities can provide game-changing knowledge and new perspectives.
Speaking of professional development summits…in March 2020, I am hosting the Assess for Success Virtual Summit created specifically to support leaders of nonprofits as they work to continue and grow the impact of their organizations. At this Summit, you will receive valuable assessment tools and strategies from industry experts and thought leaders that will enhance the work and impact of your organization.
