Albert Einstein said, “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.”

One night my family and I were sitting at the dinner table eating our meal together and sharing stories from our day. My daughter asked me what I had done at work. I told her I had the opportunity to speak to a large group of business leaders about leadership. Confused, she looked at me and laughed while saying, “But, Daddy, they’re ALREADY leaders!” She thought I had made a big mistake and spoke to the wrong group. 

Many people think like my daughter did. They have the misconception that once you receive the title of “leader,” your growth is over. It’s the temptation to think you’ve arrived and no longer need to develop yourself. This type of thinking couldn’t be further from the truth. The moment you are endowed with the title of “leader” is the perfect moment to begin growing your skills all the more. Once you get something, that doesn’t mean you’ve got it; it means you now need to grow it. I like how Coach John Wooden put it when he said, “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” Only when we admit that we don’t know it all can we open the door to unlimited possibilities. At age 94, Pablo Casals was considered one of the greatest cellists of all time. After one of his last concerts at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. he was asked why he still practiced over three hours a day. He responded, “I think I am making progress.” He also stated, “To retire is the beginning of death.” Always push your team to stay in a growth mindset. Challenge them to get better and better and to never settle for where they currently are.

Everyone wants to get better, but few are willing to pay the price to do so. Sadly, many people live their lives waiting to stumble into success. These people believe success is a destination that can be reached. But waiting is not a strategy and success is not a landmark. People do not go to success as though it is waiting for them somewhere; they grow into success by developing their skills day by day. The only way to become successful in life is to practice successful growth habits. You become what you habitually practice. Habits shape us, for better or worse.