Leaders develop over decades

Growth in leadership is a multi-decade investment with a clear direction.

A leader is recognized as such only after the labor of leadership development has born fruit. Or to use a boxing analogy, “Champions don’t become champions in the ring–they are merely recognized there” (Maxwell, pg. 30). The period before the championship moment is measured in decades, not days. To arrive at the level of influence of recognized leaders, an individual must take intentional steps on a regular basis towards that goal.

No one accidentally becomes a leader in their workplace, field, or community. Neither does an entrepreneur fall into a successful startup. The foundation of a business, like the foundation of a leader, is thousands of tiny increments towards a distant vision.

This may not be the news an entrepreneur wants to hear. Even with Lean methods, which reduce the up-front cost of wasted planning, there is a laundry list of work even the best ideas must accomplish to become viable businesses. The entrepreneur who understands the value of incremental process, and who can draft a plan to achieve the goal, has a great advantage in seeing their vision become reality.

My enrollment in this program was fueled in part by my recognition that growth is a long-term commitment that requires depth of commitment and thought. When I was twenty I had small dreams and no influence. At twenty-eight I have larger dreams and marginal influence. By thirty-five I intend to have huge dreams and decent influence. By my seventies I want to have global dreams and extraordinary influence. My next step towards that goal is to learn all I can about leadership, the execution of a business, multicultural intelligence, and an integrated Biblical worldview.

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