A seasoned executive at one of the largest companies in the US and a young professional who is a barber at a national chain: he is from the northern US and she lives in the south. They have never met yet they share a common thread with each other.
I was leading a seminar with the executive and we were discussing takeaways from the day. He said, "I want to continue to grow and take advantage of opportunities that help me to improve my skills. I want to get better.” I was sitting in the barber's chair discussing her new role with a new company when she said: "I want to continue to learn and grow. That's why I love this company, they give many opportunities for us to learn new things, develop our skills and get better at what we do."
Both of these professionals possess perhaps the most important skill of an effective leader: the desire to get better. Once a leader chooses to stop growing, stagnation is inevitable. When we refuse to lead ourselves to learn, our influence is greatly diminished and our effectiveness is destroyed.
Regardless of age, occupation or the relationships that we are investing in, our desire to grow personally and professionally will enhance the quality of every area of our life. Choose to get better every day and you will make a difference!
- Larry
The Common Thread
