Imagine you’re at a football game.
The action on the field is pretty intense, so everyone’s eyes are fixed on the field.
People are cheering and clapping. The marching band is playing.
But you look to your left and one guy isn’t paying attention to the game at all.
Not even a little bit.
This guy is twisted around in his seat…completely missing the action on the field…staring up at the top of the stadium.
Thousands of people enjoying a great ball game and this one guy is blowing it off because he’s fixed on who knows what.
“What’s this guy’s deal?” you think.
That kind of behavior seems pretty strange, right?
What I’m going to tell you is that this guy is more like you and me than you might realize. Here’s why.
Some of you have shared with me that you’re so hungry to reach the next level of success and impact, but you feel like you’re on a plateau.
For whatever reason, getting from where you are today to that next level of success seems like a huge challenge.
And let me tell you, I understand.
When I had my paving company, I was as hungry to compete and win as anyone you’d find.
I wanted to grow…and win…and to see my people grow…and help my community.
Now that my business is training business owners and companies about leadership and personal growth, I measure things differently…but don’t think I’ve lost my drive to win.
I won’t rest until I’ve reached my absolute maximum potential.
And I know you’re that way, too.
But what does any of this have to do with a crazy guy in a stadium sitting backwards?
Okay, here’s the answer.
I know you want to get to the next level.
I know you want more influence…more authority…more responsibility…more territory to cover…more money…more people to lead…
…but too often I see people looking the wrong way to get to the next level.
Too often, there’s just a big crowd of people sitting in the stands staring down at the field.
And they’re all looking at the same answers.
Different job.
Longer hours.
Hustle harder.
But every now and then there’s the crazy guy…the guy who looks someplace no one else is looking.
This guy gets rewarded with the truth I’ve seen in my own life…
The key to getting to the next level isn’t a thing, it’s a person.
What does that mean?
It means the people who glide through levels of success are the ones who seek out mentors at key points in their lives.
You see, the crowd thinks that getting a different job will take them to the next level.
But if they’re just taking their same skills to a different shop, who benefits? Where will the progress come from?
The truly exceptional people…the ones who really will make it to the next level…seek out mentors.
But what does a mentor do?
A mentor provides a relationship you can learn from…and the best way you can learn is from the feedback a mentor provides.
As your mentor gets to know you, he or she will be able to see:
- your strengths and weaknesses
- your blind spots
- where you can make the most improvement
Working with a mentor also allows you to benefit from his or her experience. If they’ve made mistakes, you can avoid those mistakes. If they’ve been successful, you can copy that success.
I can trace so much of the success I’ve had in my life to my mentors.
Very early in my career, when I knew next to nothing about paving, a mentor took me to the next level.
As my business grew and I discovered I needed to grow my leadership skills in order to develop the people in my company, I sought out another mentor.
It was then that I began my long relationship with John Maxwell.
John Maxwell, the author of the legendary books like Developing the Leader Within You and The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, has been my personal mentor in the areas of leadership of personal growth.
The relationship I’ve had with John has had such an impact on me that I’ve traveled with him to train other leaders overseas…and John invited me to be one of his first certified coaches.
What took me to the next level when I was in search of new skills and growth?
A person.
A mentor.
My mentor, John Maxwell.
If you want to take yourself to the next level, I want to encourage you to try something different than what everyone else is doing.
I want to encourage you to ignore your gut instinct.
I want to encourage you to tune out the voice in your head that says a different job or hustling harder in your current role will be the silver bullet.
Don’t just sit there in the stands doing what everyone else does.
Look for the solution that nobody else is willing to seek.
Find the person who can help you.
Find a mentor.
If I can be a mentor for you or if you want to talk about who a good mentor for you would be, email me HERE.