My wife recently visited family members that she had not seen in some time. When she returned she was taken aback by how one of her cousins, a college athlete, had grown. The young, thin high school-aged cousin she remembered now had a strong, imposing physique. The rigors of training with other college athletes under the guidance of coaches had yielded significant growth. The growth signifies that an athlete is ready to produce at a greater level. An important aside is the character growth of self-discipline, the mental growth of daily focus, and the emotional growth of submitting to challenging standards are as important if not more important than the physical results. Growth is almost always holistic across an entire person's life and the results that are most easily seen are just the tip of the iceberg. The bottom line is that...
GROWTH SIGNIFIES A READINESS FOR MORE.
About the same time as my wife’s visit, I was listening to an episode of Dr. Jimmy Scroggins’ podcast ‘Church for The Rest of Us’ which described the same concept but in a non-athletic way. *Note: The podcast is packed full of sneaky good leadership insights that apply to a much broader context than church life. In this particular episode. Scroggins used the term 'proven grower' as a descriptor for a staff member they consider for a promotion or an outside candidate being considered for a leadership position. I have reflected for a couple of weeks on that descriptor as it relates to my own career and to the individuals that I have hired. The times I was thriving and the candidates I have hired that have thrived were all proven growers.
As you consider your own career, or if you are currently considering candidates for positions in your organization, here are 5 areas to consider if you or they have been 'proven growers'.
a proven grower of PROCESSES - Individuals who can see how people, calendars, and resources can be organized so things operate more efficiently are very valuable. Here are a few ways to evaluate if you have helped processes to grow in your organization: 1. Has communication around a certain regular event or process increased and improved? 2. Have you created clarity on who, what, when, where, and why? 3. Do people know exactly what is happening and when it is going to happen? 4. Does a new calendar exist that is accurate and referred to often? 5. Is there less friction and greater energy around an existing process. I like to refer to people that make existing processes better, 'WD-40' staff, when they are around things just move better. Are you WD-40 in your organization?
a proven grower of PROGRAMS - Proven growers of new programs have an entrepreneurial spirit. They sense a need or want in an organization and know how to fill that void with a program that can meet it. These programs provide a strong return on investment (ROI) of time and resources by adding new value to an organization, unlocking untapped potential in people, or reframing how an organization is perceived by the general community. Have you started or taken over a program that has become a significant ROI for your organization?
a proven grower of PARTICIPATION - When I was an athletic director, it was very exciting to hire a new coach for a lagging program and watch participation spike. Student-athletes would flock to these programs because the leader clarified expectations, kept high standards, was obsessive about their craft, and developed meaningful relationships with their coaching staff and student-athletes. Who wouldn't want to participate in that type of program? The analogy applies to any group. Do you organize, communicate, and relate in a way that draws people to you and grows participation?
a proven grower of PASSION - Dabo Swinney led Clemson University football to two national championships in the last few years. Coach Swinney, an unheralded former player and assistant coach, was an unlikely candidate to be named the head football coach at Clemson University as evidenced by the 'interim' tag he was given mid-way through the 2008 season. As success at Clemson began to pile up under his leadership a reporter asked Coach Swinney if he felt like he was an overachiever. Coach Swinney's reply gets me fired up! 'I don't think I am an overachiever, but I am an overbeliever.' Coach Swinney ignited a passion for Clemson football across the entire university and state of South Carolina through his relentless belief and passion for what could be accomplished. What about you? Are you able to grow passion in others for a common goal?
a proven grower of PEOPLE - I will stick to a coaching analogy here on this final area. Successful coaches are often measured by their 'coaching tree.' The coaching tree is the number of assistant coaches who have gone on to be successful head coaches. The list of coaches credited to the coaching trees of Nick Saban, Bill Belichick, and Mike Krzyzewski is staggering. Do the people you come in contact with grow? Do they pursue and accomplish big goals? Do they earn new degrees and certifications? Do they earn promotions? Do they get offered exciting opportunities because of their performance? If you can grow people around you, you have a special gift!
Your readiness for a new and enlarged opportunity will likely be correlated to your ability to produce growth all around you. And do not forget that the surest way to prepare yourself for more opportunities and responsibility is to produce growth in yourself!
Keep on, keepin’ on, friends!
Bonus content: Here are a couple of resources to help you dive deeper on this topic: 'How to Lead When You are Not in Charge' by Clay Scroggins, 'The Next Level' by Scott Eblin, 'What Got You Here Won't Get You There.' - Marshall Goldsmith, 'Great at Work' by Morten T. Hansen.
‘Bite Down and Don’t Let Go’ is a collection of writings on being intentional about life in a way that produces excellent persistence. Read about it more here.
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