The Journey from Immaturity to Maturity
Maturity doesn’t come naturally. It’s learned.
Plants mature with age. People don’t. You can be old and self-absorbed.
Experience isn’t maturity. You can be experienced and act like an infant.
Knowledge doesn’t make you mature. Educated people can throw tantrums when people don’t listen.
A closed mind is the ceiling of maturity.
Mature leaders govern themselves skillfully.
Immature Leaders
- Need approval. Disagreement feels like rejection.
- Get defensive. Feedback feels like an attack.
- Avoid discomfort. Hard conversations become tomorrow’s problems.
- Are governed by circumstances. A tough day turns to a bad attitude.
Immaturity reacts. Maturity considers consequences.
Mature Leaders
- Stay steady during discomfort.
- Sacrifice what feels good for what matters.
- Practice gratitude. Entitlement notices what it deserves. Maturity notices what it has.
- Think beyond themselves. Immaturity asks, “What do I get?” Maturity asks, “How can I contribute?”
- Keep growing. Mature people know they aren’t finished.
How to Learn Maturity
Maturity is taught.
Maturity requires three things:
- Humility.
- Instruction.
- Correction.
Humility depends on you. Instruction and correction require others.
You don’t mature on your own.
Practices That Lead to Maturity
- Pursue instruction.
- Seek feedback.
- Receive correction.
- Engage in structured self-reflection. Read The Vagrant for more.
- Take ownership.
- Adapt behaviors.
Age leads to maturity when we confront painful patterns.
Experience leads to maturity when we adopt useful behaviors.
Education leads to maturity when it humbles us.
Maturity Sets You Free
Maturity sets you free from the whims of immaturity.
Mature leaders skillfully manage applause, criticism, comparison, appetite, ego, circumstances, and the crowd.
Growing old is automatic. Self-governance is learned.
What has helped you mature?
How can you help others mature?
These nuggets are golden.
They are worth getting alone with a cup of coffee and really pondering. They humble me, which, I guess, shows some level of maturity. 😁
Thanks!
Reflecting on the people who taught us how to be mature is humbling and it leads to gratitude as well. Additionally, I can’t help but notice that I still have a way to go. Cheers
I saw a T-shirt recently that read “I count as an adult only because of my age.” Apparently, some folks need one that reads “I count as a leader only because of my title.”
Good one. 🙂