Do you ever get stuck in this cycle? You have something new to do, or even something that you just need to get done. So you make a plan. Then you analyze that plan to death, wanting to be sure you have covered all of the “what ifs” and things that just might happen. That way, of course, you have a contingency plan for everything.

On top of this, we always want the things we do to be creative, to be great, and to succeed. At some point, we get so deep into the analysis, that our lizard brain takes over and we get stuck–paralysis by analysis.

The reality is that not every single thing we do will be great. Some will succeed, and some won’t. It is also true that if we never DO it, we’ll never see the results of the ideas that ARE great.

Whatever you are working on this week, I encourage you to SHIP it. Just get it done. What are you waiting on?

All leaders must grow to be truly successful. Sometimes as leaders, we just get too comfortable in what we are doing. We believe we have learned everything we need to be successful, and we stop searching for ways to grow. I don’t think we ever stop learning all we need to learn.

So how do you grow? Here are five tips for ways to grow as a leader:

• Find a mentor. There are many different leadership styles. Seek out someone whose leadership style you admire and ask them to mentor you.  Chances are they will be flattered that you asked. In doing that, remember that the mentor isn’t the one who does all the work in a mentoring situation. Learn what you can and apply it. Without that application, it’s not real growth.
• Books.  Read, read, and read. There are a lot of books published about leadership. Find authors you like and be sure you read their books. My goal for 2010 is to read at least one new book. Again, don’t just read. Be sure you apply what you are reading to begin to have more effective leadership.  Some of my favorites are books by Seth Godin, Ken Blanchard, and Andy Andrews.
• Become self-aware. Really sit down and evaluate your motives in leadership. The best leaders are ones who approach leaders from a servant leadership thought process. Leaders who believe they are there to serve the people  they lead will find a much more productive experience.
• You might want to enroll in a leadership coaching class or seminar. These can be very effective in learning new ideas on how to approach things.
• It is also important to remember that all of this learning doesn’t really help unless you apply it. In Seth Godin’s book “Linchpin,” he calls this “SHIP.” You must ship, get those ideas out there, try them, and see what works!

What things have I forgotten here? How have you found growth as a leader? What are some of the ways you have grown in leadership, personally or professionally, and how did you reach that growth?

Yes, you did read that headline right, F is for failure. And failure is a part of leadership. How many times have you tried to do something and failed? And then what? Did you give up, or did you find another way to do it or perhaps even realize that it was better to find a new thing to do? No one is successful 100% of the time. When failure comes, and it will, it is important to not let it paralyze you. A quick walk through history will show you that failure is not uncommon in courageous leaders.

Abraham went to war a captain when he was a young man, and returned home a private. He failed in business. He failed in building a law practice because he was too impractical and temperamental. He was defeated in politics six times before he was elected President of the United States. He is quoted as saying “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”

Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade. He became Prime Minister at the age of 62, after being defeated in every election for public office. He later wrote “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never–in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never, Never, Never, Never give up.”

How about Thomas Edison? His teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything,” and he was fired from his first two jobs for being “nonproductive.” Before he invented the light bulb, he made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts. When asked how it felt to fail 1,000 times, he said “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

We’ve seen failure in business, and certainly are seeing that in today’s world. And yet, Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he succeeded. R. H. Macy failed seven times before his store in New York city made it. When Bell Telephone was struggling to get off the ground, they offered to sell all of their rights to Western Union, who rejected the offer, saying, “What use could this company possibly make of an electrical toy.”

Sports is another area where we have seen failure before success. Vince Lombardi was once described as one who “…possesses minimal football knowledge and lacks motivation.” He would later write “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.” Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and credits his failures in life as the reason for his success.

One of my favorites is the story of Walt Disney, who was fired from a newspaper because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” He also went bankrupt several times before he build Disneyland. Even Charles Schultz had every cartoon he did rejected by his high school yearbook staff, and Charlie Chaplin was rejected by the Hollywood studio chiefs because his pantomime was considered “nonsense.” Last, the manager of the Grand Ole Opry fired Elvis Presley after one performance, telling Presley “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck.”

Think about that for a minute. Failure simply IS a part of success. In order to succeed, we have to step outside of our comfort zone and try something new. And yes, some of those things will fail, probably more than will succeed. But what if you never try? What do you lose by never trying something because you are afraid to fail?

What will you do today to embrace the failures, knowing that success comes if you continue to try?

You will recall from an earlier post this week, I talked about Seth Godin’s book “Linchpin” in a post titled “Are You Indispensable?” Today as a part of his blog, he sent the video below, which I understand will be an ongoing discussion about linchpins. Because I believe this is so important to the leaders of today and tomorrow, I will share these here with you. Enjoy!

Linchpin: GaryVee from Seth Godin on Vimeo.

Leaders have to be enthusiastic about what they are doing. Have you ever known a really enthusiastic leader? They are passionate about the vision they have, and they believe in it with all their heart. I love those kind of leaders, they just seem to create highly motivated teams. In my early days with the professional association I belong to, I met one of the most enthusiastic leaders I have ever known, Brenda Hurley. She is a dynamic leader who inspires you to be involved with whatever she is doing. I remember telling her one time she was like a missionary who was so excited about what she had to share that everyone just wanted to be involved in it. I learned a lot from her and have always been thankful for her leadership and her friendship.

Enthusiasm is contagious. When you are excited about something, it tends to spread to others. We all want to be involved in things that we are passionate about, and finding someone else who is passionate, drives us to be our best.

Enthusiasm must be real.
I’m not talking about the “salesman” type of enthusiasm that tries to get us to buy into an idea or a product. We can spot those a mile away and false enthusiasm tends to make us cringe and want to move far away from whatever that is. It has to be genuine and heartfelt.

What about when you’re just not enthusiastic?
I have had some talks lately with a friend who said “It’s just my day to be ‘blah. Can’t I have one day?” We all have those days when it’s hard to be motivated. Life happens. It becomes hard to stay pumped up all of the time. Still, it’s important that those we lead don’t see those “blah” days all the time. I’m not suggesting that you should never show people you are having a hard time, that’s not realistic. The goal is not to become superhuman. The goal is to be authentic. Even if you’re having a bad day, are you excited about your project? Then be sure to add that!

We are enthusiastic about what we love.
Yes, it really is that simple. Do you love your job? Love the latest project? If you’re a parent, are you enthusiastic about your kids, your family? When we really love what we are doing, it’s pretty easy to be enthusiastic. If we don’t really love something, it’s much harder. For me, the answer has been to always be sure I am doing what I love. I’ve learned to pick and choose what I do so that I don’t invest time and energy into things that don’t make a difference. If I can be involved in something that really makes a difference, it’s easy to be enthused about it.

To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” DO something great today!

What are some examples of leaders who have been so enthusiastic you just wanted to follow them?

In his book, “The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)”, Seth Godin talks about knowing those times when the things we are doing just seem to be going downhill and how to move through that dip. It’s no secret that I am a Seth Godin fan. I do love his books. I happened to read this one just short of when I probably should have for the situation I was in, but it’s still a great book and concept and one I sure won’t forget in the future.

We’ve all heard the famous Vince Lombardi quote “Winners never quit and quitters never win,” and yet, is that really true? Think about the times when you have taken a new position somewhere. It’s challenging and exciting. As you learn more and become more familiar with things, your momentum increases. Then you hit a cul-de-sac, where nothing really happens. That is sometimes what our roles feel like as leaders. And it is in those times that we need to figure out whether to quit or stick.

I think everyone has had a time when they felt like they were spinning their wheels. I talk to a lot of people who came into their roles enthusiastic and excited, believing THIS was the role where they would really make a difference. And then it happens. The dip.

Some key things to consider when you hit the dip:
1. Am I panicking? Be sure it’s not just a panic reaction. The best time to decide to quit is in advance.
2. Who am I trying to influence? A person or a market?
3. What sort of measurable progress am I making? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? And are you sure it’s not a freight train?

Today I want to share a video with you about this book. It’s from a guy who does book reviews online, takes about 10 minutes to watch, and is well worth the watch.

What about you? What are some times when you have faced a dip and either pushed through it or decided it was best to quit?