It's amazing how much we can achieve when we refuse to allow fear hold us back!
It's been a busy six months of the year and I haven't had time to write on this blog. Within this period I've had the opportunity to learn more about myself, about leadership and, to get a clearer understanding of my purpose in life. One of the most exciting thing that is happening in my life is that I will be going back to school next week. I'm starting the Cornell-Queen's EMBA program and excited about all the things I'm going to learn and, new friends I will make. I will be spending some time in residence at both Cornell and Queens with weekend boardroom classes in Markham. It's going to be a rough ride for the next 17 months, but, I'm excited because it's a dream come true for me. I'm happy that I took the first step in applying to the program without knowing where funding will come from or/and if I will even be accepted. God is faithful and I have the financing needed to embark on this journey.
"I can do what you can't do and you can do what I can't do. Together we can do great things." ~ Mother Teresa
One of the things about the program is the amount of "rich" materials from both schools you have access to. Even though I'm starting next month, I already have some assignments and reading materials ahead of the classes in Cornell. As I work through the reading materials, especially those on leading and managing organizations, a common theme that seems to be popping out at me is around self awareness and authenticity of leadership. I think that the first step in becoming an effective leader is in getting to know yourself, your strengths and your weaknesses. I think a fully self-aware leader will be more effective in selecting the right team that will complement his areas of weakness and not compete with him. Poor leaders try to learn and master every thing they need in order to lead their organization. Great leaders are fully aware of their capabilities and hire the best individuals to complement their strengths. A leader who is great at visioning and poor at executing would do well to hire someone who is excellent at executing (and maybe not as visionary as the leader). The biggest mistakes some leaders make is to hire folks that think, talk, act, behave, and execute like they do. Now, hiring a strong team is not an excuse for the leader to wallow in ignorance. Great leaders continue to learn from their team because they understand that a leader must be able to fly at 30,000 feet and, also be able to crawl at ground zero. They also appreciate the Law of Blind-spot which states that every leader has several blindspots, so they hire a team diverse enough to cover their blind-spots as a leader.
Well, I'm looking forward to school and, excited about the future. I've come to realize that I cannot afford to leave my personal development to my environment, the media or even to my workplace. The responsibility to learn and grow lies on my shoulders. I've learnt that growth is not automatic, neither does it happen by chance; it's deliberate and must be planned for. I've also learnt that it's never foolish to begin preparing for a transition no matter how many years away it is or where you are in your career (Muriel Wilkins). Not everybody will be able to attend a business school (or any other formal education); but everybody can continue to learn and grow in the area of their calling in order to fulfill their purpose.
"Income seldom exceeds personal development" - Jim Rohn
You Are Unique
Patrick
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