Leader are intentional perpetual learners… sometimes by “harness”

To continue the thought of the week (being that leaders are Intentional perpetual learners ) my thoughts today are around building in the structure that ensures growth - in other words – when I put myself in a place (on purpose) where I must grow – then it is a support or a structure that forces growth – maybe not because I want to grow that day – but because I know something is on the line and I am “harnessed” into growth.

On dog sled teams – there is momentum and a given amount of pressure to perform when you’re strapped in with 15 other dogs and a musher – that pressure to perform will motivate a performance response – when we don’t necessarily feel like performing. They don’t want to let the rest of the team down – and there are “social consequences” to not performing.

When my friend, Nils, and I were on a training run – one of the dogs (Fatty) decided he wasn’t really into running that day – it brought the whole team down and eventually Nils stopped and we unhooked him and put him in the sled. He had missed it – he knew it – and every other team member on my team AND Nils team knew it – their body language communicated it and his communicated it, as well.

What could you “harness” to help your “Intentional” growth? At times, I’ve committed to teaching a class, starting a mentorship club, or having a leadership book study breakfast once a week. Another friend of mine has accountability partners that call him once a week to ask about his progress. The awkwardness of having to tell them you didn’t perform can be a motivator, a “harness” that supports the structure of growth.

Launch out there today – find something or someone to commit to that will “harness” you into a growth mode.