Leaders Must Grow as the Organization Grows

All healthy things grow. People need to grow. In a work setting, people need to continue to grow, to learn, so as to keep up with the changing times. As an. organization grows, the people working there need to continue to learn new ways to serve and make their best contribution. At some time or another you may have heard the statement “You just don’t fit anymore” which is a way of saying that the organization has grown and changed but you haven’t kept up. This  can be grounds for loosing your job. Ron Edmondson shares some helpful thoughts that leaders especially need to continue to grow as the organization grows. All leaders need to be Life-Long Learners. 

Guest Post by Ron Edmondson

In my experience, it’s easier to hide bad leadership when an organization isn’t growing. However, with growth bad leadership becomes apparent. Therefore, leaders must grow as the organization grows. 

I’ve learned my leadership is stretched most when we are growing the fastest or changing the most. In those seasons, I am personally challenged as much as the organization. Consequently, my ability to continue to lead well is often called into question. Therefore, I personally feel the challenge.

As an organization grows and changes:

• People ask harder questions.
• More decisions have to be made quickly.
• It is harder to find healthy rhythms.
• Current systems need improving.
• More people are needed to do the work – likewise they are often hard to find.
• Leadership development becomes more important.
• Effective delegation and management is necessary.
• Resources are stretched.
• Communication can be messy.
• Tensions are higher.

Here’s the bottom line.

As an organization grows (and changes) leaders must grow.

And change

This can be sobering for leaders. But leadership is a sobering reality. Leaders must understand that continuing to grow an organization always requires a leader to continually grow.

In THIS POST I share some ways to grow as a leader.