PART I: LAYING A FOUNDATION FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT

            1 - What Will It Take for Me to Improve?

                        Growth must be intentional— nobody improves by accident.

                        GROWTH IS A CHOICE

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

                        PRINCIPLES FOR SELF-IMPROVEMENT

1)    CHOOSE A LIFE OF GROWTH

2)    START GROWING TODAY

a.    Growth is not automatic.

b.    Growth today will provide a better tomorrow.

c.    Growth is your responsibility.

d.    .

3)    FOCUS ON SELF-DEVELOPMENT, NOT SELF-FULFILLMENT

4)    NEVER STAY SATISFIED WITH CURRENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

5)    BE A CONTINUAL LEARNER

6)    DEVELOP A PLAN FOR GROWTH

a.    I recommend a plan that requires an hour a day, five days a week.

7)    PAY THE PRICE

8)    FIND A WAY TO APPLY WHAT YOU LEARN

a.    Where can I use it?

b.    When can I use it?

c.    Who else needs to know it?

“It is never too late to be what you might have become.”

            2 - HOW CAN I GROW IN MY CAREER?

                        Be better tomorrow than you are today.

 

Remember the Turkey - BS might get you to the top, but it won’t keep you there.

 

                        HOW GROWTH HELPS YOU LEAD UP

v  THE BETTER YOU ARE, THE MORE PEOPLE LISTEN

v  THE BETTER YOU ARE, THE GREATER YOUR VALUE TODAY

v  THE BETTER YOU ARE, THE GREATER YOUR POTENTIAL  FOR TOMORROW

HOW TO BECOME BETTER TOMORROW

1)    LEARN YOUR CRAFT TODAY

2)    TALK YOUR CRAFT TODAY

3)    PRACTICE YOUR CRAFT TODAY

a.    The only way to improve is to practice your craft until you know it inside and out.

3 - HOW DO I MAINTAIN A TEACHABLE ATTITUDE?

            It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.

            TEACHABILITY TRUTHS

1)    NOTHING IS INTERESTING IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED

2)    SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE VIEW LEARNING DIFFERENTLY FROM THOSE WHO ARE UNSUCCESSFUL

3)    LEARNING IS MEANT TO BE A LIFELONG PURSUIT

4)    PRIDE IS THE NUMBER ONE HINDRANCE TO TEACHABILITY

HOW TO TAKE YOUR TALENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

1)    LEARN TO LISTEN

2)    UNDERSTAND THE LEARNING PROCESS

a.    STEP 1: Act.

b.    STEP 2: Look for your mistakes and evaluate.

c.    STEP 3: Search for a way to do it better.

d.    STEP 4: Go back to step 1.

3)    LOOK FOR AND PLAN TEACHABLE MOMENTS

4)    MAKE YOUR TEACHABLE MOMENTS COUNT

5)    ASK YOURSELF, “AM I REALLY TEACHABLE?”

a.    1. Am I open to other people’s ideas?

b.    2. Do I listen more than I talk?

c.    3. Am I open to changing my opinion based on new information?

d.    4. Do I readily admit when I am wrong?

e.    5. Do I observe before acting on a situation?

f.     6. Do I ask questions?

g.    7. Am I willing to ask a question that will expose my ignorance?

h.    8. Am I open to doing things in a way I haven’t done before?

i.      9. Am I willing to ask for directions?

j.      10. Do I act defensive when criticized, or do I listen openly for the truth?

4 - WHAT ROLE DO OTHERS PLAY IN MY GROWTH?

            What kind of attitude do you have when it comes to learning

            from others?

Ø  NO ONE CAN TEACH ME ANYTHING— ARROGANT ATTITUDE

Ø  SOMEONE CAN TEACH ME EVERYTHING— NAIVE ATTITUDE

Ø  EVERYONE CAN TEACH ME SOMETHING— TEACHABLE  ATTITUDE

 

HOW TO LEARN FROM OTHERS

1)    MAKE LEARNING YOUR PASSION

2)    VALUE PEOPLE

a.    People don’t learn from people they don’t value.

3)    DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH GROWTH POTENTIAL

4)    IDENTIFY PEOPLE’S UNIQUENESS AND STRENGTHS

5)    ASK QUESTIONS

 

CHOOSE A MENTOR TO HELP YOU GROW

I have developed six questions to ask myself before picking a model to follow:

1)    DOES MY MODEL’S LIFE DESERVE A FOLLOWING?

2)    DOES MY MODEL’S LIFE HAVE A FOLLOWING?

3)    WHAT IS THE MAIN STRENGTH THAT INFLUENCES OTHERS TO FOLLOW MY MODEL?

4)    DOES MY MODEL PRODUCE OTHER LEADERS?

5)    IS MY MODEL’S STRENGTH REPRODUCIBLE IN MY LIFE?

6)    IF MY MODEL’S STRENGTH IS REPRODUCIBLE IN MY LIFE, WHAT STEPS MUST I TAKE TO DEVELOP AND DEMONSTRATE THAT STRENGTH?

 

GUIDELINES FOR MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS

      CLARIFY YOUR LEVEL OF EXPECTATIONS

      ACCEPT A SUBORDINATE, LEARNING POSITION

      RESPECT THE MENTOR, BUT DON’T IDOLIZE HIM

      IMMEDIATELY PUT INTO EFFECT WHAT YOU ARE LEARNING

      BE DISCIPLINED IN RELATING TO THE MENTOR

      REWARD YOUR MENTOR WITH YOUR OWN PROGRESS

      DON’T THREATEN TO GIVE UP

 

PART II: THE ONGOING PROCESS OF IMPROVEMENT

          5 - WHERE SHOULD I FOCUS MY TIME AND ENERGY?

                        To reach your potential, get in your strength zone.

                        SEARCHING FOR STRENGTHS

The more you work in your strength zone, the more successful you will be.

                        DEFINING PERSONAL SUCCESS

·         Knowing your purpose in life

·         Growing to your maximum potential

·         Sowing seeds that benefit others

People’s purpose in life is always connected to their giftedness.

You will discover your purpose by finding and remaining in your strength zone.

                        FINDING YOUR OWN STRENGTH ZONE

1)    ASK, “WHAT AM I DOING WELL?”

2)    GET SPECIFIC

3)    LISTEN FOR WHAT OTHERS PRAISE

4)    CHECK OUT THE COMPETITION

a.    • Are others doing what I am doing?

b.    • Are they doing it well?

c.    • Are they doing it better than I am?

d.    • Can I become better than they are?

e.    • If I do become better, what will be the result?

f.      • If I don’t become better, what will be the result?

 

TO BE A SUCCESSFUL LEADER, FIND AND DEVELOP THE STRENGTH ZONES OF YOUR PEOPLE

o   STUDY AND KNOW THE PEOPLE ON YOUR TEAM

o   COMMUNICATE TO INDIVIDUALS HOW THEY FIT ON THE TEAM

o   COMMUNICATE TO ALL TEAM MEMBERS HOW EACH PLAYER FITS ON THE TEAM

o   EMPHASIZE COMPLETING ONE ANOTHER ABOVE COMPETING WITH ONE ANOTHER

 

6 - WHAT ROLE DOES EXPERIENCE PLAY?

            Experience plus honest self-examination leads to wisdom

Reflection turns experience into insight, so they not only live the experience but learn from it.

Experience teaches nothing, but evaluated experience teaches everything.

GAINING FROM EXPERIENCE

1)    WE ALL EXPERIENCE MORE THAN WE UNDERSTAND

2)    OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD UNPLANNED AND UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCES DETERMINES OUR GROWTH

3)    LACK OF EXPERIENCE IS COSTLY

4)    EXPERIENCE IS ALSO COSTLY

5)    NOT EVALUATING AND LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE IS MORE COSTLY

6)    EVALUATED EXPERIENCE LIFTS A PERSON ABOVE THE CROWD

 

 7 - WHAT AM I WILLING TO GIVE UP TO KEEP GROWING?

            For everything you gain, you must give up something.

            WHAT IS THE NEXT LEVEL WORTH?

                        WHAT WILL YOU TRADE?

1)    TRADE AFFIRMATION FOR ACCOMPLISHMENT

2)    TRADE SECURITY FOR SIGNIFICANCE

3)    3. TRADE FINANCIAL GAIN FOR FUTURE POTENTIAL

4)    TRADE IMMEDIATE PLEASURE FOR PERSONAL GROWTH

5)    TRADE EXPLORATION FOR FOCUS

6)    TRADE QUANTITY OF LIFE FOR QUALITY OF LIFE

7)    TRADE ACCEPTABLE FOR EXCELLENT

8)    TRADE ADDITION FOR MULTIPLICATION

9)    TRADE THE FIRST HALF FOR THE SECOND HALF

10)  TRADE YOUR WORK FOR GOD FOR A WALK WITH GOD

 

 

ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE UP TO GO UP?

This article is the author's understanding of material presented by John C. Maxwell in Self-Improvement 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know