Yeah, I’m not the first person to say that, and yeah, it’s still true.
Next week I am going to a week-long leadership development institute with people from all over the state of Tennessee. It is gonna be a great week of meeting new friends and having some fun while we learn. But I’ll be honest… I haven’t been looking forward to it.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know that it’s gonna be good. But I keep thinking of all the things that I need to do and all the things that I know will pile up on me while I am gone. In fact, I am gonna have to work hard for those things not to affect my attitude when I am there. And that also reminds me of why I am going in the first place, because I know it is good for me.
I am all about leadership. I talk about it, I teach it, I live it. I believe that success rises and falls on leadership, and no matter how many times that I have been involved in leadership development, it helps me. And I truly believe that if you aren’t growing, you are dying. I tell my college students this all the time… the learning doesn’t stop when you graduate. In fact, the only thing that diploma says is that you now have the license to really start learning. Learning is a life-long process and those around us who are the movers and shakers have learned that and practice it.
That is a lesson that all small business owners need to take to heart. You may think you know everything there is to know about what you do, but I guarantee you that you don’t. There is always something more to learn. In my profession of technology and social media, things are changing so fast that I have to constantly keep learning or I will fall behind quickly.
So I challenge you with this… how many hours this past year did you spend going somewhere and learning something? How many hours last year did you spend per week reading about what you do? How many hours last year did you spend developing your skills and learning something new? I challenge you to do more this year. You can do it, and I hope you do. I know I will. Now, where is my suitcase?
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You know I will Steve-O! I am already working on a draft! It was an honor to meet you my friend, and when I come to Knoxville you will get a call.
I expect to hear an update on your leadership conference experience. on your blog…hope you had a safe journey home!
Steve O
I love Toastmasters! I even watched a clip of ole’ Don at a Toastmaster’s meeting! The closest one to me is an hour away, and I have thought about starting one for years but I don’t have time to handle all that I have on my plate as it is.
Sometimes you need a safe place to fail, I mean to grow. There is a real place where you meet real people to learn communication and leadership skills. I emphasize real because anymore people are meeting in virtual places with avatars. In my opinion there is no safer place to fail, I mean to grow, than a Toastmasters’ meeting. There is a real meeting with real people near you: http://reports.toastmasters.org/findaclub/