Tomorrow is October 1st and the start of the final quarter of 2024. Are you reaping the harvest? I’m not referring to a harvest of pumpkins, corn, apples, or other fruits and vegetables. I am writing about the personal harvest. What have you done to personally grow and develop yourself over the last nine months? Did you start 2024 with the intention to challenge yourself and stretch your limitations? Did you commit to reading more than you did in 2023? Have you attended any classes or seminars this year?
Intentions
Intentions are great, but unless they translate into actions, intentions are nothing more than empty promises we make to ourselves and brag about to others. If you are working on your development, that is great, and I encourage you to not slack off. If you have not done anything to grow your leadership skills and abilities, then do not wait until January 1, 2025, to start. We are moving into the last quarter of the year, and there are three months remaining to plan, engage, act, and work on your personal development.
Map the route.
In my book The Furnace of Leadership Development, I wrote, “In order to develop as leaders, we must map the route and not rely on someone else to drive us to the destination. You must put forth the time and effort to design a realistic plan.” That is right: you must do it yourself. Moving beyond intention means having a bias for action and taking the initiative on your own without having someone else telling you to get your rear in gear.
As leaders if we do not have a plan to develop ourselves, then we resemble a steel ball inside a pinball machine. Bouncing off the bumpers and making a lot of noise but showing little progress for the effort. John C. Maxwell says that “Growth is intentional.” Be intentional about your growth and do not let the next three months go by like a wisp of smoke.
Podcast
Please tune in to Firehouse Talks with Jersey Rick: Igniting Leadership Excellence. My daughter and I cohost this podcast, and we talk about anything and everything related to leadership. You do not need to be a firefighter to listen, and we strive to keep the podcast to thirty-minutes. You can find us on Apple, Spotify, and iHeart Radio every other Thursday.
