Leadership: Always Growing

My goal is to learn more about leadership daily. Here are a few of the principles I've learned over the past five years along with a few people I've been learning from recently:

1.. Be a Follower - In order to be a leader, I must first learn how to follow. Here are some people I currently learn from (a distance):

• Daniel Montgomery - His book titled, "Leadership Mosaic" was refreshing as he gave a different approach to leadership. Check it out here: www.amazon.com/Leadership-Mosaic-Principles-Ministry-Everyday/dp/1433552558
• Brian Howard - I first met Brian in Louisville, Kentucky and have been following him on twitter/facebook since. He gives a humble approach to leadership. Check out his site here: contextcoaching.org/
• Michael Hyatt - I've never met Michael, but I receive his daily email. The former CEO of Thomas Nelson is worth following and learning from.- michaelhyatt.com/welcome/​
• God - The Great Leader is transparent and wants those He created to follow Him. I cannot lead others well if I am not following Him. I follow Him not from a distance, but communicate with Him daily, seeking wisdom and direction from the best selling book of all time.

2. Be a Learner - I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but I'm extremely new to the John Maxwell scene. But he challenges his readers to 'always be learning'. So, here are some people I seek to learn from:

• John Maxwell - His book 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' is a classic: www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Anniversary/dp/1511317299
• Daniel Montgomery - Again, check out his link above for his book "Leadership Mosaic".
• The One Thing Book - A concussion forced me to dive into this book and it was helpful in my recovery. In my opinion, this book is vital to leadership. Check it out here: www.amazon.com/ONE-Thing-Surprisingly-Extraordinary-Results/dp/1885167776/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507934811&sr=1-1&keywords=the+one+thing
• Bible - The Apostle Paul wrote, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, for training in righteous, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." More importantly, I learn more about God through reading the Bible and how to lead for His glory.

3. Be a Thinker - This is very new to me in the area of leadership. I enjoy thinking, but I often become so focused on 'tasks' that I fail to stop and think. So, I have learned to schedule blocks of time to think. Here are a few areas I am seeking to grow:

When I think - I take time to think in the mornings, before anyone else is awake in my home. I spend time reading, in prayer, reflecting on God's Kindness, then I simply think. There's nothing specific I think about, but I just let my thoughts begin and then apply Second Corinthians 10:5 and make sure my thoughts are in obedience to Christ.

Think Big - This one is a struggle for me, but I'm trying to learn this principle. In all areas that I lead, whether it's in ministry, home or the community, I am trying to think 'Big' in all things. Again, I am still learning with this principle. Do you have any thoughts on thinking big in leadership?

I'd love to hear what you have been learning about leadership. Comment below.