Leaders my Leaders, welcome back!
Integrity is not the most important trait for a leader to have, maturity is. Mature people have hallmark traits that can be relied upon. Mature people get the best possible results from themselves and others. They have evolved to their highest level of functioning, living, and loving. Then they seek to learn and grow even more. These folks are in balance, have a great perspective, and an excellent attitude. They are fully accountable, and make mindful, intentional choices. They have a profoundly positive ripple impact on the world.
Immature leaders cause a lot of destruction. They may not have any of the major dysfunctions we’ll discuss later on, but they also haven’t grown up enough to meet their current responsibilities well. Some of them are immature because they lack an example that showed them what maturity looks like in daily life. Others are proudly immature because they have no interest in self-development, and they benefit too much from their bad behavior. Eventually however, their choices will catch up with them, when something happens that they aren’t able to escape or laugh off. Then they end up regretting not having chosen to develop maturity when they still had control over the process.
The bottom line is that life will grow you up. The same is true of leadership. The path of self-discipline is rougher at the start, but allows you the time and space to grow at your own pace and in your own way. It becomes a comfort and one of your greatest allies throughout the course of the rest of your life. Those who don’t choose self-discipline however, have a more carefree start but a much tougher landing later on. Usually by then, someone or something has intervened. At that point, the path to maturity is prescribed and must be accomplished in a compressed timeframe. Someone else is setting the goals, making the decisions, and then you are stuck carrying out their plan regardless of what you think or feel about it.
Next week we’ll begin discussing traits of immature versus mature leaders. Until then, lead well and love it!
