10 Powerful Principles of Exponential Growth
You’ll never know who you might have been if you don’t grow.
Success is about personal growth not techniques, strategies, or methods.
Awkward:
Growth feels awkward because it means not yet and not there.
“Not there” is falling short.
Growth is a dance between pressing forward and falling short, at the same time.
Opportunity:
Growth stops when you choose comfort over discomfort. Growing leaders banging against and press through resistance.
Growth is stepping past what you did in the past.
Everyone reaches the point where pulling back feels better than pushing through. But, leaders who pull back have reached their potential. Leaders who press through resistance, uncover new opportunities for meaningful service.
Growing others:
Your greatest service is growing yourself into helping others grow.
Helping others grow is helping them press through reluctance, face resistance, and risk failure. Everything else is just dabbling.
10 Principles of exponential growth:
- First efforts always fall short. Those who can’t fail, don’t grow. Those who don’t fall short, didn’t reach far enough.
- Growth spurts make people feel awkward in their own skin. Think of adolescence who struggle with changing bodies.
- Help people reflect on their own journey. Enhancing someone’s self-awareness is a great gift.
- Pulling back is the point where growth stops and circle-running begins.
- Stagnation is the result of staying the same.
- Persistent irritation concerning the same issues signals stagnation.
- People instigate growth. Hang with people who expect more of you.
- Never underestimate the value of irritating people and negative circumstances.
- Hold hands and kick butt, at the same time. Environments of growth are supportive but not comfortable.
- Focus on people who aspire to grow. Only those committed to growth actually grow. Everyone else has an excuse.
What are you doing to grow?
How can leaders help others grow?
A big job of leaders is to scaffold growth… to encourage scary steps and be there to support them. Love this post.
Thanks Karen. I’ve always enjoyed your use of scaffold in relation to growth. One of these days I have to steal it.
Lol I know how this sounds!!!!!
Ok I am charging my water with a product called The Sourxe3!!!
I drink it and bathe in it!!! Lol
I listen to Thinking Into Results every morning and throughout the day.
I sleep under a copper pyramid. Her the Egyptians chose that shape for some reason!!!!
I have my Plan and actively share every day with others who have skills and contacts way beyond mine.
I am HAPPY NOW and have a VISION for the FUTURE.
Starting a class on may 28 with Trevor Blake called The Physics of Success. Can’t wait but will!!!!
Picking up 30 year Medallion for being sober and clean that long on the 22nd!!!!!
Going to end up the little guy coming out of nowhere that ends Global Poverty!!!!
Not bad huh?
See my Sobriety, my life spared was Gods Gift to me. I got a debt now to repay.
My Gift back to God is ending Global Poverty.
I will persist until I succeed!
Yep that about covers it!!!
Now time to be distracted by day job.
SP
EA
Growth requires discomfort…thanks for the reminder. I’ve heard it said that people don’t change until the pain of staying the same is worse then the pain of changing. In Switch (by Chip and Dan Heath, see page 168), they remind us that the IDEO company understands that failure is critical in the design process. The emotions of doubt and angst create the impetus for the “insight” necessary to push through the unfamiliar territory.
Thanks cowsare… It’s strange that we often forget basic truths. I think we get so busy that we forget to pay attention to the journey.
Agreed Dan. Its really awkward to see that we do forget the basic fundamentals of life and sometimes people do it intentionally. Worst is, they realize it quite late
Well said Sir!!!!!!
Now we are talking!!!!
Yes just tell yourself a story, one that causes you more pain not to take action than if you do nothing.
Leverage you gift of desperation!!!!
Great stuff cowsare!! Great!!!
“Holding hands and kicking butt” at the same time. Love it! You DO know how to paint a picture with words, Dan. My admiration.
Holding hands & kicking butt simultaneously sounds like what good teachers do.
Maybe even spouses.
Thanks Dauna. I think most of us are good at one or the other. It takes real skill to do both.
I appreciate your encouraging words.
Thank you for the inspiration, Dan. Well, more rightly, the kick in the butt.
Thanks Steven. Lets hold hands. Maybe that will help. 🙂
More good stuff! The concept of feeling comfortable with discomfort is really the key to being successful. I get annoyed with those that are a burr under my saddle but anything that causes discomfort is ripe with growth potential. Thanks for the reminder!
Thanks Susan. It took me years to appreciate the irritating things about others and circumstances. … I’m not trying to create irritations. But, when I become aware of them, it’s time to pay attention.
I love all you write. This one spoke to me the most, because I am stifled by fear, afraid to make mistakes or worried what others will think. I believe I should have grown more by now and so many of these principals will help me. To just keep going forward and strive for growth. LOL whoever would think that being 50+ that you can grow and really grow a lot.
Thanks Dan
Kymee
Thanks Kymeem. Welcome to the over 50 crowd. I think a humble “mature” person is in a great position for growth. It sounds like you haven’t been pulled down by the know-it-all problem. Best wishes.
I look forward to your posts every day. This one really hit me. I’ve had the good fortune of being pushed (kicked in the butt) by kind mentors and also had the honor of learning that I can do the same for others. What a great feeling to see co-workers grow and achieve a new level of self-awareness that had been lacking. Thanks for the constant inspiration!
Thanks knadeau. I appreciate the encouragement. I love the way you say “pushed by kind mentors” That captures the tender/tough quality that we all need to rise above mediocrity.
You don’t grow without taking a risk, without challenging yourself. For leaders, the familiar gets boring very quickly.
Focus on people who aspire to grow. Only those committed to growth actually grow. Everyone else has an excuse.
This post resonates with me and the last tip is something that I’m really focusing on now. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to following and learning more.
Really great insight! Loved this!