“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
You aren’t designed to do life alone. As a leader, if you are not plugged into a small group, mastermind group, or accountability group that meets on a consistent basis, you are not growing to your maximum potential.
If you are navigating challenges by yourself, working out issues alone, and going through life isolated, you will most likely get stuck, stay stuck, and slowly begin to stop growing. I’ve seen too many leaders with all the potential in the world slowly lose their influence and effectiveness, and over time they actually stopped living out the purpose for their life. Why? They didn’t stay connected. I don’t mean they never engaged with society and stayed in their house in isolation. I mean they never intentionally formed relationships where they opened up about challenges, were humble enough to receive feedback, and were held accountable to changing. It can happen to anyone. It’s happened to me. Life gets busy. Our lives are full, even with good things. But if we aren’t careful, we can find that days, weeks, months, and even years go by so fast, and we are the same exact person with the same exact challenges doing the same exact things. We never grew, never moved forward, never dreamed, never stepped out.
You can only grow so much alone. You are limited by your own self. We all need people to help us see things we can’t, to help us think differently, to challenge us, to encourage us, to see us through, and to call us out. Also, as leaders I believe we are called to something bigger than ourselves. If we are to fulfill our purpose on this earth, it will require the help of others. If you can accomplish your calling alone, you are not dreaming big enough!
It’s a powerful thing when leaders unite and gather together. Leaders get healthier, sharper, better, stronger, and wiser in the presence of other leaders. I’ve seen it firsthand! Together we are more innovative and creative. Together we are more disciplined and organized. Together we are more intentional, hardworking, and efficient. In the presence and community of other leaders, we dream bigger dreams, we break through lids, we accomplish more than we ever thought possible, and ultimately we become the very best leaders we can be. When you get connected and plugged in with other leaders consistently, you can’t help but raise your own standards. You can’t help but be inspired. You can’t help but go after the dreams in your heart.
Some of the greatest leaders in history were a part of mastermind groups – Walt Disney, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Andrew Carnegie, and so many others. They recognized that few things could accelerate them toward their goals faster than intentionally growing with other leaders.
My prayer is that L3 Leadership will be a place where leaders do life together! I pray that we would be known for being rich in friendship and unity. I pray we would create an environment where young leaders are girded about with older leaders sharing in life, growing to our maximum potential, bringing about change in our own lives and in the lives of others, going after the dreams in our hearts, and ultimately changing our cities, nations, and world. If you believe, like I do, that one leader can change the world, imagine what a company of leaders can do! When we all grow and flourish together, the world is a better place.
My challenge to you is to invest in your growth by getting connected to a group of leaders. This world needs the very best you that you can be!
