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Episode: How to Create a Growth Environment

Author: John Maxwell
Duration: 00:42:04

Episode Shownotes

What does it take to have a growth environment? John Maxwell answers this question in today’s episode and gives helpful advice on how leaders can create an environment of growth in their own lives and businesses! After John’s lesson, Mark Cole and Chris Goede discuss some practical ways to apply

what you’ve learned to your life and leadership. Key takeaways: - We play to the level of the people that lead us. - Encouragement is oxygen for the soul. - Growth is happiness. Our BONUS resource for this episode is the How to Create a Growth Environment Worksheet, which includes fill-in-the-blank notes from John’s teaching. You can download the worksheet by visiting MaxwellPodcast.com/Environment [BM1] and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.”and clicking “Download the Bonus Resource.” Take the next step in your growth journey and become a Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member. Click here to speak with a Program Advisor today! References: Watch this episode on YouTube Join Mark Cole for a FREE Day to Grow Call on Dec 17th! Add to your calendar here! Watch this episode on YouTube! [BM2] Enroll in the 15 Laws of Growth Online Course for just $99!Join the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Shop the Maxwell Leadership Online Store

Full Transcript

00:00:08 Speaker_01
Hey podcast friends, welcome to the Maxwell Leadership Podcast. This is the podcast that adds value to you as a leader so that you will multiply to those around you.

00:00:19 Speaker_01
My name is Mark Cole and today we're going to let John share with you 10 characteristics of a growth environment.

00:00:27 Speaker_01
Now, I've heard John share this several times, and maybe you as a podcast family have heard John share these 10 things because it's kind of his benchmark of what a growth environment looks like.

00:00:40 Speaker_01
But I wanted to bring it to you today because, number one, we're wrapping up November. I hope you've had a great Thanksgiving if you're one of our U.S. listeners or viewers.

00:00:50 Speaker_01
But as you go through December, I'm going to challenge you to take these 10 components or these 10 characteristics of a growth environment, and I want you to find the place that you're going to answer these questions or address these characteristics in your growth plan in 2025.

00:01:10 Speaker_01
This episode will measure whether you have an environment that is helping you or hurting you. It's going to give you the ability to know whether you are challenging the people around you or whether you need to do a better job getting challenged.

00:01:28 Speaker_01
So, after John's lesson, my co-host, Chris Goede, and I will give you practical ways that you can apply this lesson to your life, to your leadership, and to your growth.

00:01:39 Speaker_01
If you'd like to download the free bonus resource for this episode, or even watch the episode on YouTube, please visit maxwellpodcast.com forward slash environment. Also stay till the end.

00:01:52 Speaker_01
I've got an exclusive author that I want to have just for you as one of our podcast viewers or podcast listeners. Here we go. A growth environment, John Maxwell.

00:02:09 Speaker_03
What does it take to have a growth environment? What does it mean that I'm living in and working in an environment that is conducive for my personal development and growth? 50 years ago, I wrote this down and I give this to you now.

00:02:23 Speaker_03
A growth environment, number one, is a place where other people are ahead of you. Very simple. When you're in a good growth environment, there are people around you that are bigger, better, faster, smarter, more successful than you.

00:02:38 Speaker_03
It's not healthy for you to be at the head of the class. In fact, I tell people, if you're at the head of the class, you're in the wrong class. You want to get out.

00:02:47 Speaker_03
You always want somebody to be in front of you, uh, that stretches you, that you can point to and say, wow, I, I someday want to be where they are. And I someday want to be able to do what they have done.

00:02:59 Speaker_03
So in a growth environment, you're around other people that are doing well, and they're succeeding. And some of them are better than you. I encourage you to make sure that you always are around people that can stretch you.

00:03:15 Speaker_03
We play to the level of the people that lead us. So you want to always be around bigger, better people. The second ingredient of a growth environment is that you're continually challenged.

00:03:27 Speaker_03
In other words, you get up every day and you have a mountain to climb. Every day you have goals to accomplish. Every day you have things that you have to get done. And it's not easy. It's not quick. But it's important. It's essential.

00:03:46 Speaker_03
And so every day you wake up challenged to better yourself, better your team. better your goals. You're, you're continually challenged.

00:03:55 Speaker_03
There's a, there's something that brings out the beautiful competitive spirit within you that says today, I want to, I want to climb that mountain. Another part of a growth environment is that your focus is always forward. That, that you realize that

00:04:15 Speaker_03
The future is right in front of you. And what do leaders do? Leaders see more than others see and they see before others see. And so therefore they're constantly looking forward, realizing that's where the opportunity is going to be.

00:04:28 Speaker_03
That's, and by the way, that's where the problems are going to be that you got to go solve so that you can get the opportunities that you want to have. Opportunities are almost always disguised with problems. And so, but your focus isn't yesterday.

00:04:42 Speaker_03
It isn't, isn't what you did yesterday. It's not even the position you made yesterday. So you don't live off the past. You don't live off of your position at all. You just say, you know, tomorrow. You approach life like there is no finish line.

00:04:58 Speaker_03
I love that. I, you know, I don't even think there is a finish line. I think you just keep stretching, you keep growing, and you stay in the game. A growth environment also is a place where the atmosphere is affirming.

00:05:15 Speaker_03
Well, you're around other people who believe in you, and you're around other people who encourage you. You know, encouragement's like the oxygen for the soul. My father was an incredible leader and a great encourager.

00:05:29 Speaker_03
And one day I said, you know, Dad, you encourage everybody. I said, how do you know everybody needs encouragement? He said, John, if they're breathing, They need encouragement.

00:05:39 Speaker_03
If they're living, you know, it's the thing, it's the fuel for their soul, for their spirit. And so he understood, he understood very readily that encouragement just breathes oxygen into people.

00:05:53 Speaker_03
I think another ingredient, a growth environment is a place where you wake up excited. You don't wake up and say, well, I wonder what's going to happen today.

00:06:05 Speaker_03
But you wake up excited because of the possibilities, because the people on your team, because of the opportunities, because of what you have to give to people that is life changing, the value that you're going to add to people.

00:06:18 Speaker_03
You know, I know some people, they, you know, honestly, they wake up and they kind of look at their day and, and, you know, and they're just boring. They're just bored. So you wake up excited because, man, I get to help people today.

00:06:34 Speaker_03
A growth environment is a place where failure is not your enemy. that you will fail a lot, but that's not your problem. You just understand that failure is another learning lesson. And so you don't let your failures sidetrack you.

00:06:49 Speaker_03
You don't let them distract you. You don't let them stop you. You just basically say, well, I've learned a lesson today. So when you look at your failures, you don't talk about your losses. You talk about the lessons that you learn in those losses.

00:07:05 Speaker_03
You know, a growth environment is a place where other people are growing. You're not the only one growing. You're not the only one developing. People around you, they're getting better. A growth environment is a place where people desire change.

00:07:19 Speaker_03
And they're willing to change. I read the other day a statement that was so interesting. I thought it's very sad, to be honest with you. But the statement basically said that people, even when they know the change

00:07:34 Speaker_03
that they need to make will make them better. Most people still resist change. In other words, they say, well, I guess I'd rather be comfortable than better. And that's not what you want for your life.

00:07:46 Speaker_03
A growth environment is where you get out of your comfort zone, but you get into your potential zone. And you got to get out of one to get into the other. And finally, a growth environment is a place where growth is modeled for you.

00:08:02 Speaker_03
You see it in your leaders. And it's not only modeled for you, but it's expected of you. People look at you and say, you know, I expect you to get better. I had a wonderful mentor. I close with this.

00:08:13 Speaker_03
I was in my young thirties and we were talking about personal growth one day. And he gave me the very best definition I've ever had of growth. And he looked at me and said, John, growth is happiness.

00:08:26 Speaker_03
He said, you show me people that are growing, developing, and they're happy people. He said, it's the people that don't grow that get discontented.

00:08:38 Speaker_03
So as you're, if you just keep growing, if you keep stretching, you keep developing, you keep learning, he said, just have a very happy, fulfilling life. He was right. So I gave you what a growth environment looks like.

00:08:50 Speaker_03
And so create that for your team as a leader, make sure those things I just shared with you are part of the environment of your team. They'll prosper because you do that.

00:09:05 Speaker_02
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00:09:16 Speaker_02
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00:09:33 Speaker_02
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00:09:47 Speaker_02
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00:10:06 Speaker_01
Hey, welcome back, everybody. I'm reminded, I love this quote by Jack Welch, the most important job you have as a leader is growing your people, giving them a chance to reach their dreams. The most credibility you have with, that's Jack Welch.

00:10:23 Speaker_01
Let me attribute the right quote, because it's incredible. The most important job you have as a leader is growing your people, giving them a chance to reach their dreams.

00:10:32 Speaker_01
The most credibility you will get as a leader is demonstrating growth to your team, is letting them know, just because I have the position, just because I have the title, just because I have arrived, quote unquote, I still challenge myself to grow.

00:10:49 Speaker_01
And so, Chris, I want us to take this this week, and for some of us, we need to be as leaders creating growth environments. And I want us to challenge ourselves on how we do this with our role of leading in John's legacy.

00:11:02 Speaker_01
But for some of us listening, I'm going to try to do a great job of challenging you over the next 30 days to make sure that you have components of this in your life, in your leadership, and in your intentional growth plan.

00:11:17 Speaker_01
So we're going to kind of balance both of those as we talk and share today. Us as leaders, are we creating that growth environment? Me as an individual, do I have that environment around me?

00:11:28 Speaker_04
What I love about this is, I told you right before we went live, this is your sweet spot. You have been immersed in this for so long, and now it's just part of your DNA. It's who you are.

00:11:40 Speaker_04
I love what you said, and I want to go back for just a minute for those that are listening. I would tell you that even if you haven't arrived, as we said, or you're leading somebody, I think understanding this as an individual contributor on a team

00:11:55 Speaker_04
Leadership is contagious. Remember, we define leadership as influence, right? So you're going to have influence on a team, whether you're the leader or not.

00:12:03 Speaker_04
And man, if you are trying to drive a growth environment, even as an individual contributor or just part of a team, it's going to become contagious. And then just sit back and watch because not only is your growth going to go through the roof,

00:12:17 Speaker_04
your influence with the team is going to go through the roof. And then I think you're just going to continually see opportunities. So here's where I want to start, because I was just thinking about it.

00:12:24 Speaker_04
A lot of people that listen and download and are watching us on YouTube are familiar with your journey. But I would say, as I talked about that statement, as I was thinking about it, it often reminds me of what you did when you started.

00:12:36 Speaker_04
You walk into a role, wherever it is, and you're like, Well, man, I've never felt something like this before. It is here in this culture. It's part of it.

00:12:44 Speaker_04
We're going to talk about that in just a little bit as well, but you bought into it and began growing at a pace, even without a title, without a position, weren't even here very long and became very influential, not only in your life, your personal life, but those that around you talk about that.

00:12:59 Speaker_04
When you, that just that concept of doesn't, you don't have to be leading to be growing in order to help change an environment of growth.

00:13:06 Speaker_01
Yeah, and thank you for bringing that up as a question first, because I didn't know you were going to. But here's what you said, right, coming out in your comments. You said, this is a sweet spot for you. Thank you for that.

00:13:17 Speaker_01
If I accomplish anything as an individual, I hope it's personal growth.

00:13:21 Speaker_01
because expanding the capacity with which I have, I just did a talk this morning, I was doing a talk out of John's book, High Road Leadership, and it's chapter six talking about high road leaders lead with emotional capacity.

00:13:37 Speaker_01
And John said, here's the great thing about emotional capacity, you can grow it. Here's the thing about any capacity in our life, any limiter in our life, any, any, any limiter, you can expand it. You can get bigger.

00:13:50 Speaker_01
And so I'm glad it's a sweet spot because it means my best is yet to come. I might be the CEO of this large legacy of a leadership brand,

00:14:01 Speaker_01
But you just told me if this is a sweet spot, I got a lot more ahead of me, a lot more in my tank because I have greater capacity. Now, I very rarely do guest appearance on podcasts. We spend all of our time and energy on this.

00:14:12 Speaker_01
I can't even get a guest podcast on your podcast. You did know that was coming, right? I couldn't. Chris has an incredible podcast, Maxwell Leadership's Executive Podcast. You need to check it out. It will help you as a corporate leader, I promise you.

00:14:28 Speaker_01
probably in that area more than this one, but not in place of this one. Let me just say that right there. I'm just kidding. I've already seen the questions that I'm going to ask after this podcast. How did you get to be the leader of Maxwell Leadership?

00:14:41 Speaker_01
How did you get to be the leader of a leadership company? Personal growth. I agree. Period. I'm going to pontificate on that because that won't get many listeners to his podcast to just say, but I can tell you this, the answer to your limiter for 2025

00:14:59 Speaker_01
is intentionality around your growth. It's identifying what's holding you back. It's identifying what opportunities will propel you forward and getting a plan to intentionally go after that.

00:15:09 Speaker_01
So my whole journey, as you said, started with a question, what's your growth plan? And I love to grow, but I had no intentionality around it.

00:15:18 Speaker_01
So the way I would answer that today, Chris, before we jump in and to unpacking several of these growth environments, is the word intentionality. I think a lot of us are growing. If you're listening to this podcast, congratulations, you're the choir.

00:15:34 Speaker_01
We're speaking to the choir. We're preaching to the choir. You are the choir. You're listening to a podcast to better yourself. But are you just showing up, seeing if Mark and Chris and John Maxwell's gonna say something that'll inspire you?

00:15:47 Speaker_01
Or is this a tool that is propelling you somewhere intentionally? And I can promise you this,

00:15:53 Speaker_01
For those of you that are using this 35-40 minutes as a chance to grow in an already predisposed way, in a pre-intentional design path, on a pre-focused thought on what you're trying to get out of here, you're getting a lot more out of this podcast.

00:16:11 Speaker_01
not because I'm any better, not because Chris is gonna contribute and ask great questions, it's because you already came in here with an intentionality of what you were gonna pull out.

00:16:22 Speaker_01
You know when you buy a blue car, you know what everybody in the road has? A blue car. When you're looking for growth, growth stands out. In fact, it's a standout statement right here. Jake, thank you for this standout statement.

00:16:36 Speaker_01
Our standout statement for this podcast is growth is happiness. I love talking about this content because growth brings me fulfillment. It brings me happiness. It has brought me dreams I didn't even have.

00:16:50 Speaker_01
Because today's intentionality is tomorrow's clarity to the future's opportunity. And it will. If I can get intentional today, I'll get clear on what I want tomorrow, which then expands my thinking for the opportunity.

00:17:05 Speaker_04
That's so good. I think it also drives energy. in you, enough said, you guys can sense it with him just communicating to that. But we get to see that every day in your leadership. And so we are going to talk about a couple of these environments.

00:17:18 Speaker_04
You have been exposed to all of these and more. And so I'm going to pick a couple of them. We have not talked about this beforehand. And I just want you to kind of react of the growth mindset that you had, the environment that came of that.

00:17:31 Speaker_04
So the first one I want to start with is where you are continually challenged.

00:17:37 Speaker_04
As you grow through those challenges and you and I are kind of looking at each other and there's probably 15 things that we're aware of a thinking of, and then you probably have 30 other that I don't know where you were challenged.

00:17:48 Speaker_04
Like John said, man, these things are not easy. They're not quick. They're not fun at times, but when you are challenged, you are going to come out the other side through that.

00:17:57 Speaker_04
You're going to, you're going to create a growth environment for yourself and.

00:18:02 Speaker_04
I would say also for those that are around you in your circle of influence, talk to us again a little bit about this, about being challenged and what that does for your growth environment personally.

00:18:12 Speaker_01
Yeah, I could think of one like right now. Today, I've been here in studio for a while doing various things, get a chance to have you come in. Thanks for flying in and then flying right back out. That's what Chris Gody did.

00:18:24 Speaker_01
We are not close to the Atlanta Airport, and there's about 200,000 Atlanta people between us and the airport. And Chris literally flew in this morning to be in the studio to do this podcast, and then he's getting right back out. Thank you.

00:18:39 Speaker_01
And I was telling you today, just right now, as I'm doing my best to focus, right back here, there is this new challenge that I'm trying to solve because that's what leaders do.

00:18:50 Speaker_01
Probably the best way to illustrate this to our podcast family is for 10 years, I was the CEO of John Maxwell's company. For the last five years, getting ready to start our sixth year, if you can believe that, it's been the CEO of my own company.

00:19:05 Speaker_01
Okay, same company, we just, John and I changed the corporate structures. And I can tell you this, just right now, right now while we're listening, I'm learning how inadequate I am at being the CEO of my own company with the dynamics of my company.

00:19:22 Speaker_01
Now, I might could be the CEO of your company if any of you are looking, I might be looking for a job, I might fire myself right now. I'm just kidding, I'm not looking.

00:19:29 Speaker_01
But I might could be the CEO of your company, you probably could do a much better job being the CEO of my company. But with my dynamics, I am learning a level of inadequacy even right now in the middle of this podcast. So what does that mean?

00:19:45 Speaker_01
I can see that as a challenge. I can see it as an opportunity. I can see it as a problem, or I can see it as a solution to get to the next level.

00:19:54 Speaker_01
I've always chosen to take problems as opportunities, and I've also always seen the responsibility to take growth as a welcome challenge rather than a dreaded challenge.

00:20:06 Speaker_01
So when I sign up for something, I automatically calculate, I wonder what's going to challenge me on this. That way, when the challenge comes, I'm not surprised. I knew it was coming. Right now, today,

00:20:19 Speaker_01
I didn't know where the challenge was going to come from, but I knew that was going to be a challenge because I reoriented myself about 12 months ago to a new mindset to lead effectively through today's realities. And today it showed up.

00:20:33 Speaker_01
Today it showed up. What I'm going to do with that is just as important as how I'm going to solve it. Because many leaders take the challenge of a growth as a reason to repel rather than a reason to lean in.

00:20:48 Speaker_01
If you premeditate a challenge, not necessarily the challenge, but a challenge, you have a reminder to lean in as soon as it comes rather than to repel. So I'm all in on this baby. This thing will not get me.

00:21:00 Speaker_01
I don't know what I'm going to do about it yet, but it will not get me because I already anticipated the challenge.

00:21:04 Speaker_04
Yeah. And, and I, I see and have seen your leadership go through that time and time again, and there's consistency.

00:21:11 Speaker_04
I want to pause just for a minute though, because when we're talking about this growth environment, I think one of the things that you do and you model this is that, and we've learned it from John, right? No experience, no challenge.

00:21:24 Speaker_04
is worth its weight unless you reflect on what happened. The only way you're able to handle every challenge that comes to you is you reflected and learned from the previous challenge of leading.

00:21:34 Speaker_04
And so your intentionality behind taking what you learned through challenges and you reflect on it, you pull out leadership principles and lessons, and then you share it. You openly share it with the leadership team.

00:21:48 Speaker_04
And then you say, guys, gals, if it's relevant, share it with your team. because I'm leading from the top and trying to create a growth environment. And this is what I learned during reflection.

00:21:58 Speaker_04
So speak just a little bit of your process of reflecting on challenges, good or bad, and then the purpose behind laying that out on the table for leadership team in order to do something you're extremely passionate about, which is one thing, add value to people and create a growth environment for them to grow.

00:22:15 Speaker_01
So, oh man, Jake, just roll this. We're going to be about four hours today. Thank you for joining us. I love this angle and I'm going to tell you why. There are a half a dozen reasons why I lead with authenticity.

00:22:36 Speaker_01
Remember, podcast family, I failed big time in the most major areas of my life not so long ago. It's been two and a half decades, but that's not so long ago. I never want to do that again.

00:22:48 Speaker_01
And so I have found that vulnerability in the strains and struggles of humanity and of leadership lived out is much better than trying to keep them secret and lived in.

00:22:59 Speaker_01
I'd much rather live my authenticity lived out because it's much less toxic than if it's concealed and deep within. That's one. There's another, and that's a whole nother lesson, by the way, that I'd love to go to.

00:23:10 Speaker_01
There's another one that says my authenticity inspires others to not put my leadership on a pedestal.

00:23:16 Speaker_01
So just because I have the title, the position, the paycheck, the car, the whatever you want to look at and equate as successful leadership, never allow a success gap between you and the perception of the people you're trying to lead. It's a farce.

00:23:31 Speaker_01
It's not true. There are just as many challenges that I have today several years ago when I had all the challenges that were my challenges at that time, right? The challenges are just different. They have more zeros on them, okay? So then,

00:23:47 Speaker_01
The third reason, and I'm just quickly running through a couple, I could come up with a whole lot more. The third reason is my journey lived out inspires more people than my accomplishments celebrated at the end.

00:23:58 Speaker_01
It's much more inspiring to hear somebody walking the journey than somebody that has walked the journey, okay? But here's the real selfish reason, okay? Here's the real selfish reason of doing this.

00:24:10 Speaker_01
Growth lived out keeps you accountable to your growth plan. And when I come in and say, hey, Chris, I'm going to run a marathon. And you go, really? How are you going to do that? I'm going to get on an 18-week training curriculum.

00:24:23 Speaker_01
Let me tell you the reason I ran my first marathon. I was 39. I was determined to run a marathon before I was 40. I've wanted to all of my life. I'm 39. Don't give me an award for running at 39. I had procrastinated for about 39 years, OK?

00:24:38 Speaker_01
I got all these people to say they'd run a marathon with me. We all trained. We all did this stuff together.

00:24:43 Speaker_01
I mean, you'll know some of the guys, Reggie, David, Jim Powell, all these guys, shout out to all you, my friends, that helped me run my first marathon. I trained, I did all this stuff.

00:24:53 Speaker_01
But let me tell you something, the night before my first marathon, 39, in four months, I'm turning 40, I developed this nasty cough. and started coughing up blood.

00:25:07 Speaker_01
Now, I found out 34 hours after my first marathon that I had ran my first marathon with walking pneumonia. But you know why I ran that first marathon? I had six families that had driven to Kiowa Island. We had done this VRBO. We were all out there.

00:25:23 Speaker_01
I couldn't disappoint the people. Now, let me tell you why I live my growth out. Because when I live it out and I tell people what I am doing, Now I have accountability to the fact that I declared it. I'm going to give you one quick story.

00:25:39 Speaker_01
It's much deeper than how quick I'm going to go. We're still in the month of November, and everybody remember what happened on November the 5th.

00:25:47 Speaker_04
Election.

00:25:49 Speaker_01
I came out right before the election this year, and we're still reeling from this. So if this is still raw, my podcast family, don't cut me off for just this one comment. But I'll tell you, for three or four months, Chris, I came off social media.

00:26:02 Speaker_01
I could not handle the visceral and ill will from one neighbor to another neighbor just because of what color they like politically or what stand or policy they preferred politically. I could not handle it.

00:26:16 Speaker_01
And I came off social media until about a week or two before the election.

00:26:23 Speaker_01
And I realized that my responsibility to be a high road leader, stewarding the high road leader message, needed to be heard more between conflicted neighbors now than ever before.

00:26:37 Speaker_01
And I came out, and on the day of the election, I did a talk to over 100 of our coaches. And I did a talk on the emotional capacity of a high road leader. And I looked at them in this call, and I said, guys, I'm your leader.

00:26:52 Speaker_01
But I'm going to tell you, I didn't have the emotional capacity to be salt and light between quarreling neighbors for the last three or four months.

00:27:00 Speaker_01
And I realized that wasn't a problem between two, a Republican and a Democrat being mad at one another. That's a problem that I had to remove myself because I didn't have the emotional capacity. Everybody flipped out in the comments.

00:27:14 Speaker_01
When they came to me in a Q&A session after, they went, I've never heard it like that. My social distancing, do you remember that from COVID?

00:27:23 Speaker_01
My social distancing from a disease that I could not understand is not the right response to being salt and light in a difficult time. A leader does not retreat from the problem, they lean toward the problem. My lack of emotional capacity

00:27:40 Speaker_01
It's why I retreated from social media, not the visceral disconnect in social media. It was my inability to have a higher narrative that would not take sides, but would actually unify, because this is what John says about high road leadership.

00:27:55 Speaker_01
It brings people together in a world that divides. I didn't bring people together. I resorted from both people.

00:28:02 Speaker_01
And when I taught that lesson, the impact of that vulnerable moment was much greater than whether I'm a Republican or a Democrat, whether I voted one side or the other.

00:28:13 Speaker_01
It was the realization that muting myself, social distancing myself, putting a mask on my voice during a very critical time was a fallacy of my leadership. not a reflection of other people's leadership.

00:28:27 Speaker_04
This is really good. Let me just stay here for a second. So the time that you decided to socially distance from social media, you realized and you reflected it was an emotional capacity issue for you.

00:28:40 Speaker_04
What did you do then through those three months, talking about growth, creating an environment for yourself to be able to grow your emotional capacity to get to a point to back in early November when you decided to post that?

00:28:54 Speaker_01
What did I do in the three to four months? Let me be really honest. For three or four months, I lost. momentum in being a high road leader.

00:29:02 Speaker_01
Because you see, without revelation, then without intentionality on that revelation and a plan to fix the revelation, you won't grow. You lose ground. You don't ever get that ground back.

00:29:14 Speaker_01
I lost three months of bringing positive, powerful change to a very quarrelsome moment. I lost it. I can't get it back. Now I can go forward with some great intentionality. So what did I do in that three or four months? I lost ground.

00:29:28 Speaker_01
I created a gap that I'll never be able to get back. That's what I did. Sorry, podcast listeners, I wish I could give you a more positive answer.

00:29:35 Speaker_01
But without revelation and without intentionality to what has been revealed and without a plan, you lose ground. So, I lost ground. What did I do once I realized it?

00:29:46 Speaker_01
Man, I got back on, I apologized to all of my social media, and I'm acting like I got a bunch of people. I don't really have that many people, guys. There's about four people that like my comments.

00:29:54 Speaker_01
By the way, if you're one of the four, thank you very much. But I went and said, okay, I'm now going to get on and I'm gonna find positive messagings that unites people and I'm going to identify those.

00:30:07 Speaker_01
I'm still gonna stay away from the people that's wanting to make all these crazy comments about their neighbors, but I'm gonna go show a different way.

00:30:15 Speaker_04
That was a challenge, right? So wrapping up this point, that was a challenge that you faced that you realized.

00:30:21 Speaker_04
And then you came out and you're like, Hey, after reflecting, this is that, which by the way, just creates, we're talking about a growth environment today, creates an incredible growth environment for those that are running in your circles with you.

00:30:34 Speaker_04
You also mentioned this takes me right to the next point about, Hey, I'm not looking back. All right, I'm going to look forward. A lot of people talk about don't use the rear view mirror. We're looking through the windshield. We're going forward.

00:30:44 Speaker_04
And John said opportunities, no doubt about it, are always going to be disguised with problems. And we often have heard it said before that some people believe leadership is solving problems. And that is part of it.

00:30:57 Speaker_04
But what I love about what you just said, and you've learned a lot of this from John and his mindset, but now it's just oozing out of you as a leader as well. You are very much forward-facing.

00:31:07 Speaker_04
Hey, we're gonna identify what the problem was, maybe something went wrong, we're gonna learn from it, but then, man, it's like, we're going, we're going. I've seen them do that with you on projects, on people, on processes over the years.

00:31:19 Speaker_04
And now you're doing that as part of it.

00:31:21 Speaker_04
Why is it so important for you as a leader to have an environment of growth where the people are looking forward, learning from the past, but looking forward in regards to their team, their organization, their family, their church, whatever it might be going forward?

00:31:36 Speaker_01
Well, first, let me celebrate the 90% of leaders that's listening. including you talking with me, that don't have the privilege of looking forward because you're too busy trying to execute people that are looking forward.

00:31:52 Speaker_01
And the reason I want to celebrate that is because of what Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta, said right after he became CEO. He said the biggest difference between CEO of Delta and President of Delta

00:32:02 Speaker_01
is now I have to stay forward facing all the time and I cannot look at the present or the past. Because if the CEO, if the visionary of an organization is not looking forward, the company has had its best days. It's living its best days.

00:32:17 Speaker_01
So before I answer that question, I want to honor all the people that really make yesterday's commitments and today's plans a reality while somebody keeps challenging us for the days ahead.

00:32:31 Speaker_01
Having done that, because now I am doing that, and thank you for noticing the growth.

00:32:35 Speaker_01
Just yesterday, I'm in a meeting with you, you're out of town, I've got several other people on, and I'm casting a vision for the future of what the future could be.

00:32:45 Speaker_01
recognizing that there are people that's got to get us from the present to the future.

00:32:52 Speaker_01
Because a lot of times what happens, and I'm learning this, as John is mentoring me about forward thinking, John has been forward thinking for so long and I have been current thinking for so long that I'm realizing you can get so forward thinking that you lose relevancy and therefore credibility with the now thinkers.

00:33:12 Speaker_01
The first thing that I would challenge you as a forward-thinking leader is don't lose relevancy with the people that's making it happen today on the ground.

00:33:21 Speaker_01
Because your ability to mobilize a team to get there is your ability to relate to the team here. And so keeping relevancy is extremely important to me.

00:33:31 Speaker_01
And I'm not so far removed from having to deal with the here that I forget that I don't need to keep relevancy. However, Keeping relevancy does not mean keeping encumbrance or keeping a burden.

00:33:46 Speaker_01
The first thing I'm having to do, Chris, and this is so much fun, I can't wait for you to experience this, and you do in certain things, your podcast and other things, but it is so fun.

00:33:57 Speaker_01
to truly come in and go out of a meeting and not feel the weight of can that work, should that work or anything. It is, does that make sense? Does that align with the vision? And do you trust the team to figure it out?

00:34:10 Speaker_01
And I had two meetings like that yesterday that was incredibly liberating to me to deliver a vision and then step out of the room and go, man, I got it delivered. Now, what's the next thing I need to think about?

00:34:26 Speaker_01
That's a really fulfilling thing that is new for me. The third thing that is new is thinking about the future when you don't know how to write it down. It's that think time. I'm a doer, I'm a get it done, I'm a planner, right?

00:34:43 Speaker_01
And you're even more so than I am.

00:34:44 Speaker_04
Let's go get it.

00:34:45 Speaker_01
Yeah. Not having the ability to execute on a list is one thing. Not even being sure what to put on the list is another thing. Not even knowing that there should be a list is an altogether different thing. And I'm enjoying that part.

00:35:01 Speaker_01
I'm learning so much from it.

00:35:02 Speaker_04
Yeah, I love that. Again, this environment that you create, when we see leaders like that, whether it's on our team and in the organization.

00:35:11 Speaker_04
It's contagious, I'm telling you, then your other people begin thinking like that, making sure the list get taken care of, but they begin to do that. And that's the power of this, of influence.

00:35:21 Speaker_04
And when you make a decision individually and personally to start growing, you're gonna create an environment around that.

00:35:26 Speaker_04
Now, I'm gonna wrap up, I'm gonna throw it to you to wrap up, but I want you to talk about this last point that John talks about. He makes a statement that says that growth is modeled for you and expected of you. And I love the expected of you.

00:35:42 Speaker_04
We often say that it feels like we're in a bubble at times of maximal leadership because it is modeled for us and it is expected that you're going to grow. We have a phrase around here that you say, be a product of the product, right?

00:35:52 Speaker_04
We are going to do that. And when it's modeled for you, and so I'm saying this to encourage those that are listening that maybe aren't doing this right now, when you model it, it is going to show up in others.

00:36:05 Speaker_04
When you then begin to expect it, by the way, model it first, then expect it, man, it is going to take your team, your personal journey to a different level. You continually do this.

00:36:17 Speaker_04
And so why is it important for you to make sure it's probably all encompassing everything we talked about today and many other things around personal growth, that you model that for your team and your family and your people on a daily basis.

00:36:29 Speaker_01
You know they say when you're talking about your vision or your dream or your calling, you're never selling. You're convincing, but you're never selling. And I will tell you, you're in my jam today to where I'm never selling.

00:36:42 Speaker_01
Podcast family, viewers, listeners, I already told you I've got a special offer for you. But I don't have just one today, I have three. Here's why. It's because Chris, for me, for me, I would give every dollar that I have.

00:36:58 Speaker_01
In fact, this year I'm paying more for personal coaching than I've ever paid in my life because the expertise that I needed and the challenges that I had required a lot more than what I'd ever done and ever paid before.

00:37:13 Speaker_01
I believe in this so much that I would give everything to it. Therefore, when you challenge others, it doesn't even feel like selling to me. It feels like that's it.

00:37:23 Speaker_01
And that's another thing from a vision standpoint that I'm learning, back to that question, is I'm learning that when you get into your true element of your vision, You never feel like a salesperson. You feel like an ambassador.

00:37:37 Speaker_01
You've got to get people to understand. And I'm going to tell you the reason that you feel that passion, the reason I have not left the edge of my chair this entire podcast,

00:37:48 Speaker_01
is because number one, we're in a time of the year to where it gets natural to get intentional on the next year's growth. Number two is because I know what growth has done for you and me and our entire team.

00:38:02 Speaker_01
Number three, I care so much for you, podcast family. And if you're watching YouTube, I'm looking you dead in your eyes. I care so much for you and want so much for you. that I want you to bet on yourself.

00:38:18 Speaker_01
Chris, we're right after Thanksgiving, we're getting ready. December, middle of December, I'm doing a deal with you about a growth day we're having next year, right? And I'm gonna talk deeper about an intentionality on growth plan.

00:38:32 Speaker_01
Do we have enough information to even share what they can do as a call to action?

00:38:36 Speaker_04
We don't yet, but it will be on the podcast. And here's why you're hearing about this podcast, family, is because Mark Cole was asking me right before we went live, what is this about? I said, Mark, it's about personal growth. He said, I'm in.

00:38:46 Speaker_01
I'm doing a free event that will add tremendous value on how to get a growth mindset for 2025. In that, I'm going to talk to you about an event that we're doing in Orlando that is unique and special just to the concept of personal growth.

00:39:04 Speaker_01
Please go ahead, get it on your agenda. See us in Orlando ready to grow. I'm passionate about it. We'll put more information in the show notes. You'll see links to join it. I want you to be a part of that with me.

00:39:17 Speaker_01
The final thing that I want to share with you is I've got two more things. Finally, I wanna share with you that we have a 15 Laws of Growth. It's a book that John did several years ago.

00:39:28 Speaker_01
We created a digital product, and for our podcast listeners and viewers, we're gonna let you have that digital product that's normally $499. We're gonna let you have it for $99 for your 2025 Our Christmas gift to you.

00:39:38 Speaker_01
And so, bet on yourself, is $8.25 a month. too much to bet on yourself in 2025. That's what this digital product is. Go to the link in our show notes, use the code word podcast, and you'll be able to get that for $99. And then finally,

00:40:05 Speaker_01
We are building a growth environment to where you can get more free information on developing yourself as a growth, passionate, intentional leader, somebody that really wants to grow your influence. And so you can go to maxwellleadership.com

00:40:23 Speaker_01
Go ahead and register, get on our email list, subscribe to this podcast, and in 2025, make those kind of things a part of your growth. That's what we want you to do. Chris, we have a listener comment I'm going to close with. It's Albert.

00:40:41 Speaker_01
He listened to How to Be a Real Success Part One. You and I did that. We're going to put that link in the show notes. Albert, you get the fan award here today. He says, Mark and Chris, y'all are amazing.

00:40:53 Speaker_04
Okay, just stop right there.

00:40:55 Speaker_01
Yeah, that's it. That's all I said. He said, the stories you both shared made this lesson from John so practical. Thank you very much. Albert, we do take feedback like that and really take it to heart. Thank you.

00:41:05 Speaker_01
Hey, let's go make powerful, positive change because everyone deserves to be led well.

00:41:14 Speaker_00
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