The 8^th Law is the Law of Pain – Without the pain there will be no growth.  Just ask anyone who competes in sports, business, and life.  There is an old saying of “no pain, no gain” and it is true.  Good management of bad situations leads to great growth.  When you manage a bad or painful circumstance well, you gain much.  We actually learn far more from the pain than we do pleasure.  We don’t remember the pleasure for nearly as long as we do the pain.  The reason people don’t sustain success is people believe success sustains itself.  That isn’t true, we can stumble upon success, but it won’t continue if don’t learn how to work through the pain, or what might also be called failure.  What is failure – but pain?  How we react to failure, how we (to quote an old song) “pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start all over again” will be the true measure of our success.  If we back off because of the pain and never push through it, we will never see the reward, the success, and learn from the pain.

I have found when I am the most frustrated, in the most pain, and at the end of my rope is when I am most able to succeed.  I am more open to learning and more ready for the end goal.  Actually, putting myself in the situation where failure is not an option, no matter what the pain ensures my success.

Many of you know I like to climb 14’rs and we have many of them in Colorado.  On the way up the mountain, there are many times it would be easiest to just turn around and go home.  Yet, turning around isn’t an option (unless health and safety are at issue).  Turning around because I am tired (and trust me I am), or it is hard (yes it is hard) or any other reason is just not on the menu of options.  By pushing through the pain, through the hurt and making it to the top – I am able to experience the success (and the view) and it is so worth the pain.  Every time I grow, apply, learn, and continue on the journey – how about you?

The Law of Consistency is the difference between motivation and discipline.

• Motivation is easy to generate.
• Motivation gets you going.

However, what happens when the road gets rough, the rocks get bigger, and fatigue sets in?  That’s where discipline steps in. Without discipline, motivation is useless.

• Consistency becomes a differentiator between winners and those who don’t reach their goal.
• Discipline is the bridge that gets you over the hump to where you want to be.

The Law of the Environment is where your growth happens.

• Growth happens best in conducive surroundings.
• If your surroundings are holding you back, then change them.

It can be as simple as rearranging the furniture or as complex as moving your office. If you live in confusion and chaos then make the changes necessary.  If lack of organization keeps you from moving forward then get help to get organized.  Learn new skills to make the change.

Personal development cannot be in a small-minded environment.  You need to think big and dream big.  Our society creates more negative than positive messages on a daily basis.  The news, the economy, and often our friends and family, will tell us all the reasons we can’t succeed but not the reasons we can succeed.  It is up to you to find fresh thinking, find new things, and create your new environment.

The seventh law is the Law of Design.  To maximize personal growth you must intentionally develop strategies. Think -

• I intend to grow and I intend to measure my growth.
•  I will build my strengths.
•  I will not focus on my weaknesses.

A focus on weakness will at best make you average unless you want to make it a strength.  Let me give you an example.  If your weakness is public speaking and you want to grow in that area, then go for it.  Get a speaking coach, read books, learn how to be a good public speaker.  However if you don’t like detail (like accounting) then don’t try to get good at accounting, hire someone else to do it for you.  At best, you might become a mediocre accountant.

The third law is the Law of the Mirror.  This is your self-image.  This happens after the law of awareness.  It is about being honest with yourself and understanding where your self- image is suffering.  Self image is what you tell yourself when no one is around, when no one is listening.  It is often a very loud voice that screams you screwed up – or you rock!  A strong self image will get you further in life that most anything else.  It will get you through the rough times as you will pick yourself up and keep moving.  It will shout louder than the negatives around you that say it can’t be done – or you can’t do it.  Work on your self image and make it as strong as you can.  I don’t care who you are, you are unique in a positive way.  You have value.  You can share that value with those around you, so start telling yourself this each and every day!

The fourth law is the law of reflection.  Each one of us needs to STOP, pause, and reflect on what we are doing, have done and create a plan of what we need to stop doing and what we need to start doing.  One of my favorite YouTube videos is with Bob Newhart http://youtu.be/Ow0lr63y4Mw   Watch this video, it will give you perspective.

The law of reflection is about those I am spending time with and asking the question – who do I need to add to my sphere of influence?  Reflect on the experiences you have.  Experience means nothing unless you reflect on it and learn something.  Wisdom is reflection on experiences.  Without reflection wisdom does not show up. The law of Reflection challenges you to Stop, Pause and Reflect.

Here is what I do.  Each week I reflect back on the prior week.  What is working and what isn’t (this doesn’t take long – maybe 15 minutes).  Each month, I reflect back on the month.   Did I use my time wisely, what changes do I need to make in the coming month.  Each quarter I do the same.  Now on an annual basis as a part of my planning I reflect on the prior year.  Here are questions I ask at each juncture:

1. What activities are producing results?
2. Where am I spending my time – where should I stop spending my time?
3. Where am I disciplined - where do I need to improve?

If this is true of leadership – which I believe it is, then why do we spend so little time on our own personal growth plan? John Maxwell highlighted a number of these points in a recent leadership certification program in Florida by introducing the 15 Laws of Personal Growth.
Let me ask you, if you aren’t growing as an individual will your organization grow? The first law of Leadership is the law of the lid. Your organization won’t grow past your level of leadership. I recommend one earlier step – and that is a personal leadership and growth plan. One of the first laws of Personal Growth is the law of intentionality. We must have a plan. Growth doesn’t happen accidentally. You must add value to yourself. After all if you don’t add value to yourself then why should others follow you to the next level? Here are questions for you to consider:
1. Do you have a plan which involves getting out of your comfort zone?
2. Do you have a regular plan of learning (books, seminars, DVD’s)?
3. Who are you associating with – do you need new friends?
4. What are your interests?
5. What physical activity do you include to keep yourself physically fit?

The second law is the law of awareness. Do you know yourself? What are your gifts and strengths? Are you capitalizing on those strengths? Is building on those strengths in your law of intentionality? This truly takes time. It is difficult to look internally. It isn’t always a pretty picture and one that many don’t want to face.

What are you running from?

What does it take for you to trust a leader? All of the words described above are critical to your ability to be trusted as a leader. Yet it takes time. The old adage my Dad taught me – It takes years (or a lifetime) to build trust, but one moment to tear it down, points this out. That saying is often a guiding light for me as I look at how to handle situations and what action should I take in certain situations.

Trust is truly the foundation for effective leadership. There are no shortcuts, it takes time. Trust cannot be carried from one person to another. Your reputation as being trustworthy can lay the foundation for a new person, yet that foundation must be laid with each and every individual.

Building trust requires competence, connection and character. It takes patience and perseverance. It takes leadership at a foundational level. What are you doing today to build trust with your team, co-workers, family, and friends? Each day is a building block that is in your control.

What this creates is a society of control freaks.  These control freaks become business owners who want it done their way, as that way is the only right way.  What they are losing is the ability to leverage the world to get things done for them.  They don’t hire for new ideas, they hire for fitting into the box the business owner created.  The problem:  business owner wealth creation is often best accomplished by people with the desire to dream in a world without boxes.

 Dream without boxes – what does that mean?  It means stepping out and doing things differently.  A perfect example is Steve Jobs, he created something that was new and different that we didn’t know we needed (actually we didn’t), yet how many of us want to go back to what life was like prior to Apple creations.   You need to get away from the day to day so you have time to dream.  It is learning to always challenge your own thinking and be open.  You also must be willing to let others challenge your thinking – they also have dreams that might just allow you to fly, conquer the world, and accomplish things you were told were impossible.

Dream dreams for yourself, your family, and your business.  Dreams do come true, but only if there is a dream in the first place.

As we chart the course, the leader is similar to a navigator. The navigator does the preparation required for the detailed chart to ensure not only the best course, but plan B and C when the best course doesn’t actually work as planned.   The leader listens, judges reactions, and determines the source of the reactions.  The leader must balance optimism with reality.  What I often call the difference between illusion and reality.

We also need to lead ourselves.  As we learn to lead ourselves, we become better at leading others.  Leadership requires relationship.  Leadership is influence.  Leadership is a day by day process.  Great leaders are not created in an instant.  It takes a step-by-step process, working day by day to improve, build relationships, grow, share the vision, help others to buy in, invest in them and create an organization that everyone wants to work with and an environment that many people want to follow you.  Are you ready?

What is your skill set?  What do you want it to be?  Are you waiting for the right time, title, position, or opportunity to lead?  If so, stop waiting and become a leader where you are today.