John C. Maxwell
Increasing Your Vision
Assess Your Baseline Understanding
Lesson 1: In this GrowthTrack, John teaches you how to increase your vision by leveraging your creativity and flexibility.
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Discover
We understand that attending the Summit can be like drinking from a fire hose! So, as we focus on the topic of increasing your vision,
take a few minutes to review John Maxwell’s session from The Global Leadership Summit.
John C Maxwell – Increasing Your Vision
The thing that all leaders have in common is this:
- All leaders see more than others see.
- All leaders see before others see.
In the 1980s, there were no leadership books, only management books. The reason we went from management to leadership is because fast is faster.
Story of conference whose theme was “Fast Forward.” Fast is faster than it’s ever been before. Forward is shorter than it’s ever been before. Companies used to have ten-year plans for their long-term goals and two-year plans for their short-term goals. Now, two-year plans seem long.
In the 1980s, there were no leadership books, only management books. The reason we went from management to leadership is because fast is faster.
Story of Olympic runner Gail Devers. John told her he could beat her in a 100-yard sprint … if I had an 80-yard head start. The key is getting started first – before.
How do we increase our “more more” and our “more before?”
1. Think in abundance.
Know that there is “more more” and “more before” out there. The key is creativity and flexibility.
- In an abundant world, there is always an answer. In an abundant world, there is usually more than one answer. Creative people believe they will find an answer.
2. Develop a process for finding “more more” & “more before.”
- Test > Fail > Learn > Improve > Re-enter
- The cycle never stops.
- The way you learn is through practice. We ought to always be ready to say there is a better way.
- We admire tenacious people who test and fail but keep on trying.
- Have an attitude of “Advance Attraction.” When you are set on your goal, your mind, heart and hands begin to do what is needed to bring it about.
3. Put yourself in places with people who will inspire you to see “more more” & “more before.”
- Intentionally begin to put yourself in places and at events with people that will begin to expand your heart and mind.
- Story of John’s 50th Reunion. The people kept talking about health problems and it started to drag him down.
- You want to get around people who are going to lift your sights. They have been on the mountain and will encourage you to get there.
Intentionally begin to put yourself in places and at events with people that will begin to expand your heart and mind.
4. Intentionally grow every day.
Growth gives you capacity for “more more” and “more before.”
- Story of Developing the Leader Within You 2.0. After 25 years, he changed 89% of it. If you’re still excited about what you did 5 years ago, you’re not growing.
- When John was first learning leadership, he asked, “How long will it take?” Once he was growing, he started asking, “How far can I go?”
- Story of John’s dad. At 96-years old, he said recently, “Son, I’m so excited. I’ve got to tell you this. I believe that the greatest possibilities in my life are still in front of me.” That’s what intentional growth will do to you.
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5. Always have a “vision gap” that requires “more more” and “more before.”
- Chris Hodges: A vision gap is the space between what you are doing and what you could be doing.
- Jesus saw the disciples not as they were, but as they could be.
- How do you fill the vision gap?
- Ask God to send you the right people.
- Ask God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.
Deepen
Now that you have reviewed the session, let’s dig a little deeper into it.
Now that you have reviewed the session, let’s dig a little deeper into it.
- What were your top insights? What were the phrases, concepts or insights that hit you the strongest? Feel free to write your thoughts in your journal.
- Read this short excerpt from Developing the Leader Within You 2.0:
“Two qualities help me keep focused on ways to increase my ‘more and before’: creativity and flexibility.
- Harnessing creativity helps me believe there is always an answer. That mindset enables me to see things before others do, because I expect to.
- Flexibility reminds me that there is always more than one answer. That mindset enables me to see more than others see.
These two concepts greatly influence how I see the future. They allow me to think with abundance and not scarcity. They convince me that there are no hopeless situations.”
- If you had to choose between growing in creativity or flexibility, which is most critical to you right now?
- What practical next step could you take to grow in creativity and/or flexibility?
Do
1. Take the “Increasing Your Vision” Assessment:
Take the assessment below to get a baseline of your awareness of difficult conversations at the start of this journey. You will take this assessment again at the end of this GrowthTrack to track your growth over the next four weeks.
2. Review your responses to the assessment:
- Note the questions where you rated yourself highly. These are potential strengths to lean into.
- Note the questions where you rated yourself lower. These are potential areas to improve.
- As you go through the GrowthTrack sessions, keep in mind how you can either better leverage those strengths or identify ways to improve.
3. Calendar it! Block time in your calendar to go this course – 10 minutes per week over the next 4 weeks.
Take the assessment below to gain a baseline of your people management skills at the start of this journey.
Assessment
Instructions:
Take the following assessment to rate how true these statements are of you. Use the scale below to score yourself. Use your journal to track your scores.
Scale:
1 – Never True of Me
2 – Rarely True of Me
3 – Sometimes True of Me
4 – Mostly True of Me
5 – Always True of Me
Assessment Questions:
1. I see problems before others do.
2. I approach issues believing there is always more than one answer.
3. I am convinced there are no hopeless situations.
4. I have a process for increasing the “more and before” in my vision.
5. I can identify the effective and ineffective pieces of my vision.
6. I spend time with people who inspire me to see “more and before.”
7. I actively search for people who can continue to enlarge me/my vision.
8. I have a clear vision.
9. I am passionate about my vision.
10. My vision reflects the pain I’ve experienced and/or the lessons I’ve learned.