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90 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2021 I Don't Know What I Don't Know If you are any kind of lead- er, you have asked yourself this question many, many times. Poor leaders fail to recognize leadership op- portunities simply because they aren't growing. Poor leaders don't see them- selves as poor leaders. ey fail to realize the first lesson we learned that leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. ey also may not feel that they influence anyone, but we all influ- ence others. It's quite sim- ple, as John Maxwell says, "As long as a person doesn't know what he doesn't know, he isn't going to grow." I Know That I Need to Know Many people are in leadership positions that require them to actually lead, but are sur- prised to discover that they just don't have the skill set required. Remember our discus- sion on the difference between managers and leaders? It happened to me when I was early in my career. I was a good manager but in situ- ations that required true leadership I painful- ly realized that I lacked the appropriate skills to motivate others to act. It took me a while (years) to appreciate this fact. I learned that I had two options: continue as a good manager or become intentional in my growth and step up my game. I Know What I Don't Know I had been a manager for about 10 years when I read my first leadership book. My eyes were opened as I read, and I began to recog- nize the leadership behaviors in the leaders I admired. e first book led to a second, and a lifelong learning journey that eventually led me to the John Maxwell team. Even though I am now a certified leadership speaker, coach, and trainer, I am still learning. Being intention- al requires a plan to grow. Remember the first law, the Law of the Lid? Your leadership level will be a lid on your leadership skills that will not improve without a plan. I Know and Grow—It Starts to Show If you are intentional and have a plan, you will start to see little things that show growth in your skill set. It may be a decision that, pri- or to your growth, would have been a totally different one because you are now seeing the big picture. Like the motto of my fellow Harley enthusiasts, "It's about the journey, not about the destination." Appreciate the ride, and have a plan so that one day you will look back and realize how far you've come. I Simply Go Because of What I Know e first four phases are about being inten- tional and growth focused. Phase five is when your growth becomes almost automatic, like anything you want to improve, by practice, practice, and more practice. Remember, lead- ership is a lifelong journey, and the learning never stops.