Tag Archives: Self-Leadership

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Growth Doesn’t Just Happen and 5 Tips for Changing that on a Budget!

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I’m currently reading John Maxwell’s new book, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth.  One of those laws is:  “Growth doesn’t just happen.”

One of the points that John makes is that you have to be intentional and willing to invest in your growth. (With both your time and with your finances.)  He tells a story of wanting to take an expensive leadership development course early in his career and having to save for months in order to do so.

[Tweet “It’s hard to improve when you have no one but yourself to follow. John Maxwell”]

His point reminded me of something a former employee said to me years after we worked together.  He said that he has never worked for anyone else that has been so invested growing themselves and others.  The beauty of the comment is that even when the budget for training dried up and blew away, the people I served still received great training.

Below are five tips for fueling your fire and theirs on a really tight budget…

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Looking Back: 7 Times You Should and 7 Times You Should Not

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As I drove into the driveway, I noticed something in the window of the garage door.

When I drove in and closed the door, I realized that the “something” was the largest butterfly I’d ever seen.

He was pressed against the glass looking back at the world he had come from, and although he could see it, he could not touch it.  (It is important to note that this was a “Louisiana garage” – a carport with a roof and a garage door on the front, a wall on one side, a fence and open skies on the other side, a covered walkway and more open skies on the rear.)

This butterfly was so focused on looking back that he did not realize that the open air was just beside him and he could fly away at anytime.

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2 Ways to Shine Your Leadership Light More Effectively

Are you a candle or a beacon?

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Have you ever been in a situation that you are so close to that you can’t understand what is happening?

Leadership - Giana Consulting
  • And after some time passes you you see something that suddenly creates deep understanding?

The short post below was originally posted on the Lead Change Group Blog and describes one of those unexpected and energy filled “Ahh Haa” moments in my life.

I have always believed that the biggest reason leaders exist, is to be a source of light and help to their organizations and the people they serve.  

What if… There are two primary ways for leaders to share that light with others?

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What’s Outside of Your Comfort Zone?

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If we know each other, or if you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you know that I deeply believe in the benefits of living life outside of your comfort zone.  I can tell you endless stories about why that is the case, but you might not have that much time… So here’s one:

A few years ago I went on a business trip.   At the end of a day of meetings we went to a video arcade, where we were divided into teams.  The goal was for each one of us to play the same games  and at the end of the night, the team with the highest score would win.

Instantly a tornado of emotions and thoughts began to spiral:

  1. The first one was RAW FEAR, fueled by the historical pain of gym class.  I was as “girly” as they came and was great at avoiding pain, sweating, and dirt!  So I was frequently one of the last to be chosen for any sport that involved those three elements.  (Big ouch!)
  2. The second was a deep desire to add value to the team, fueled by a fiercely competitive spirit.
  3. The third was a conscious choice to turn this into an adventure, fueled by my husband’s repeated requests to learn to enjoy some of this world.