I have been thinking about leadership a lot lately.  I’ve been asking myself, how have I grown as a leader?  Where are my growth areas as a leader? Where do I need to be a leader?  When I first think of being a leader, I think of my team and business. Yes, of course, this is vitally important, however, what about leading my family, friends, and self?  It seems to feel harder when you move from business to family to friends to self, doesn’t it? 

This got me thinking, that I needed to be a different leader for each area on the list. However, that left me stuck and feeling overwhelmed.  Heck, the list alone makes me feel that way. The added pressure of having to perform in each area for others and myself simply pushed my anxiety over the edge.  Why am I making this so hard? Why am I feeling there is too much to learn? Why am I feeling like I can never reach the ceiling for the type of leader I want to be? There is so much information out in the universe that I swirl around with it and can’t seem to focus.  I move from there to my perceived weaknesses and it is a never ending loop of negativity.

While it is my natural tendency to absorb information from many sources and I am a self professed life-long learner, I am making an intentional effort to focus and select just a couple of leaders to follow.  This will help my growth personally and professionally, thus allowing me to dive deeper than I have ever been before in leading my team, family, friends, and self.  

Who did I choose?  Oh, you want to know (hee hee)!?!?  First and foremost, Michael Hyatt and his team for business leadership (and much more).  What I love about Michael Hyatt is it is not all about business, but he also delves into the personal relationships with others and self.  I have seen amazing transformations in just one year of being in his Business Accelerator Coaching Program in 2019. I am continuing this into 2020. He taught me work/life balance is a REAL THING!  Boy is it powerful! I am now working less than ever before, spending more time with family, friends, and MYSELF…. Yet still having amazing business growth.  

Second, I am looking into Brendon Burchard for personal growth.  As a counselor, personal growth is something I have worked on for many, many, years.  It is a necessity in my field. I know myself well, yet there are always growth area. We are human beings after all, not perfect beings!  While I do not know his work well, YET, I have been pulled to him for the past couple of years. I love the way he makes me think deeply simply by following his instagram posts.  I am giving this a try in the first quarter of 2020 and diving deep!

Third, for my online business adventure, Rick Mulready!  In just six months, I have learned more from him about online marketing and business strategies than I could have ever learned in all the MANY courses I have bought on the subject.  This guy not only knows his stuff, but is authentic, real, and truly cares about others. He is the total online business coach package, wrapped up in one. 

Fourth, {dang, Amy, I thought you cut this down} John Lee Dumas!  Entrepreneurship is a beast, It can be scary! It can be lonely! His daily fire lessons keep me going and light me up!  Plus, he is an all around great guy!  

ULTIMATELY, if I narrowed it down, {and I saved the BEST FOR LAST} I would only choose ONE to follow!  

Can you guess who?  

• This person is the ULTIMATE LEADER!  
• There is no other like Him! 
• He makes people want to follow Him, just being who he is!
• People learn from Him just by spending time with him and he showed them how He worked!
• He has transformed many!
• He used words and images that His listeners can understand, speaking in whatever way the audience of one or many can hear Him. 
• He has made many men great influencers.

When I came to this leader, I was a broken and scattered mess.  Heck, I didn’t even believe in His existence! I was so emotionally unhealthy.  Insecure. Full of Fear and sadly, hate! When I was called to Him, I admit, He had very little to work with.  It was pitiful at best. I was a complete wreck and stayed that way for well over a decade or two.. Hard to admit!  

Even though, I have come so far… I still have a long way to go, but anything that I am or have of value is completely from Him, Christ! I love the story of how he changed water to wine.  However, I think people are much harder to change the water. Yet, Christ walked into people’s lives and transformed them. You and I want nothing less. 

So, tell me… who are you following this year?