4 Strategies to Promote Intentional Personal Growth

By Rose O. Sherman

“One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; It is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves.” Eleanor Roosevelt

I am often asked by students what they can do to become more successful nurse leaders. My response is always the same – there are no secret formulas. The best leaders are the best learners and that personal growth should be intentional. Our world today is filled with volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. To navigate through this new VUCA world as Bob Johansen describes it, you must keep asking questions, revising your goals and building your knowledge base. In his new book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, leadership expert John Maxwell points out that personal growth does not just happen; you must have a plan for it. No one but you will take responsibility for your growth so here are four key strategies suggested by Maxwell that you can use to get started.

Four Key Strategies for More Intentional Personal Growth

1. Ask Yourself Where You Want to Go in Your Life and Career

You have choices in how you plan your life and career. Don’t make the assumption that good things will happen. Rather, ask yourself what you want. What do you hope to do and how far would you like to see yourself go in your career? These are important questions to consider because they will drive your growth plan. Don’t underestimate how far you might be able to go in life – most of us aim to low in life in achieving our goals.

2. Do It Now

After you determine your goals, choose some key ways to grow in a direction that will help you to achieve your goals. This could mean returning to school for another academic degree, attending a certification program, subscribing to journals and buying books or finding a mentor. It may mean moving out of your comfort zone and taking a new job as one of my current mentees is considering doing. The next step is to begin now and have a sense of urgency about your plans. Often, people fail to take action because they have established a comfortable routine. Going back for a graduate degree would involve sacrifice so the plan is delayed. Success in life is not built with giant leaps, but rather through smaller steps that are taken each day. Build good habits and rely on hard work rather than luck.

3. Face the Fear Factor

Fear plays a major factor in keeping some people from being successful. You may be afraid to fail or afraid to trade your current security for the unknown. You may worry about what others will say or whether you might alienate your peers. There is always some fear when you push yourself outside your comfort zone. In the word of Erica Jong, author of Fear of Flying, “feel the fear but do it anyway.”

4. Change from Accidental to Intentional Growth

Many nurses wait for opportunities to be presented to them (accidental growth) rather than planning for opportunities (intentional growth). Don’t let this happen to you. Growth doesn’t just happen. You need to seize it by doing the following:

See your growth as your personal responsibility
Learn from your mistakes
Overcome a need to be a perfectionist if it limits your growth
Seek new experiences outside your comfort zone
Start your growth plan today – there will never be a perfect time
Work hard to develop good habits
Follow through on your commitments
Think like a learner

Intentional growth is personal development that comes from choosing to test ourselves and expand our minds and abilities in a very specific way. Your intentional growth should have an objective, a stretch experience and a timeline. I am often saddened to listen to someone with deep regrets about the choices that they have made in life. So don’t let yourself get into a rut where you don’t take personal responsibility for your growth. Rather figure out what you need to do to coax, encourage and inspire yourself to take that next step toward your growth.

Read to Lead

Jong E. (1973). Fear of Flying. Austin, TX: Holt, Reinhart & Winston.

Johansen. B. (2012). Leaders make the Future. San Francisco: Berett-Koehler.

Maxwell, J.C. (2012). The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. New York: Center Street.