The Tradeoff: Growing Yourself to Lead Others Well
Aug 02, 2025
Leadership isn’t a destination; it’s a journey that demands intentional growth, sacrifice, and a commitment to becoming better every day. For Wes and me, the pursuit of leadership development started humbly with books but quickly evolved into something bigger—attending conferences, often out of state, which stretched us financially and required the use of our vacation time as much as possible. We worked weekends and extra hours to fund these opportunities and make time for them, as our jobs offered no support for professional development. It was up to us to find and invest in the training we needed to grow as leaders.We turned our commutes into a “university on wheels” by adding audio resources to our learning arsenal. Our hunger for leadership knowledge was insatiable—we couldn’t get enough. The more we learned, the more we applied, and the results spoke for themselves. By implementing what we were learning, we became more effective communicators and leaders that others trusted and followed.The Tradeoff: What It Costs to GrowGrowth always comes with a tradeoff. For us, it meant sacrificing time with family and friends to invest in our development. While we occasionally brought our children along to conferences, it wasn’t always possible. We also traded casual hangouts with friends for time spent honing our leadership skills. Not everyone understood, but those who stuck around benefited as we shared what we learned. Many of our friends now own thriving businesses, a testament to the ripple effect of intentional growth.
The core principle we embraced was this: to lead others well, you must first lead yourself well. This requires daily discipline and a willingness to prioritize growth over comfort. Leadership develops daily, not in a day, and consistency compounds over time—like water dripping on a rock, creating breakthroughs through persistent effort.How to Start Growing TodayIf you’re ready to take your leadership to the next level, here are a few practical steps to begin:
- Begin with the End in Mind: Define what kind of leader you want to become and why it matters.
- Schedule Your Growth: Set specific times for learning, whether it’s reading in the morning, listening to podcasts during your commute, or exploring leadership apps in your downtime.
- Make It Consistent: Commit to daily growth. Even small, consistent efforts will yield significant results over time.
Leadership isn’t about personal glory—it’s about serving the people who depend on you. When you raise the lid on your own leadership, everyone benefits. You become the kind of leader who inspires others to become better versions of themselves and reach their full potential.
As my mentor, Mark Cole, CEO of Maxwell Leadership, says, “Everyone deserves to be led well.” Start today. Commit to growing yourself, not for your own sake, but for the sake of those you serve. The tradeoff is worth it—because leadership done right changes lives.
Here's a resource to help you on your leadership journey: Leading at the Next Level Podcast. See you there!
by Cindy Dove
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