How much have you grown as a leader in the last 12 months?

Our reader poll today asks: How much have you grown as a leader in the last 12 months?

• Somewhat. I’ve grown in a few specific areas: 50%
• A lot! My leadership skills have improved dramatically: 22%
• Not much. I’ve grown in very few areas: 15%
• Not at all. I’m about the same as I was a year ago: 14%

A decent amount of growth. 72% of you report at least some up to a lot of growth over the past 12 months. For those who feel you didn’t grow, ask yourself why. Was it because you didn’t have a development plan? Weren’t provided growth opportunities? Didn’t take advantage of opportunities presented to you? Simply not interested in growth? If we stagnate, we fall behind because everyone around us continues to grow. For the coming 12 months I encourage you to identify your skill gaps and build a development plan. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – it can simply be a list of “here are 2-3 ways I want to grow and the activities I’ll pursue to make that happen.” Enlist your manager’s aid in creating those opportunities. Seek out mentors who can guide you to the best ways to get these opportunities. With a deliberate and focused plan, you’ll be amazed at how much you can grow in a short period of time!

Do you agree with these poll results? Let us know in the comments below!

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC

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These results were originally a SmartPulse poll in SmartBrief on Leadership which tracks feedback from more than 240,000 business leaders. Get smarter on leadership and sign up for the SmartBrief on Leadership e-newsletter.