More Stretching

my previous blog, I confessed to an inability to touch my toes. I pointed out that the gradual improvement in my flexibility is a lot like the way that people develop as leaders: by steady, consistent effort in a specific area. This analogy can be expanded to shed light on another important topic related to leadership development. For years, experts have debated this question: Are leaders “born or made”? You will find strong proponents on both sides of the argument. We’re all born with different physiologies. Some people start life with more inherent flexibility in their muscles than others. I don’t think that I’m one of them. Others, early in their athletic careers, may have coaches who coerce or convince them to develop great regimens of stretching. I wasn’t one of those either. So does that doom me to a lifetime of tight, inflexible muscles? No, it just means that I have to work hard at becoming flexible, and that I’ll probably always be at a disadvantage compared to those who fall into one or both of the prior groups. If you’re in a position of leadership, take note. You may not have the same “natural” gifts as some of the marquee leaders in your arena. You may not have benefitted from the same training or mentoring. But that doesn’t mean that you are destined to stay exactly as you are, right where you are. Just as I made a conscious decision to do the unpleasant work of stretching daily, you can take intentional steps to grow as a leader. Learn something, try to put it into practice, fail, reflect on your experiences, and try again. One final note: if you’re one of those born leaders, don’t take that gift for granted. A naturally flexible person won’t stay that way if he or she neglects to stretch. You may be able to coast as a leader and get by, but your church or ministry or non-profit will never reach its potential if you do that. How do you need to stretch today? It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>