The Power of Relationships in Personal Growth and Development

Ever look at your personal growth goals and wonder why you’re not making as much progress as you’d like? When it comes to our own growth, we often have a road-map mentality: we have a destination, and we have a list of turns to make to get there. But in reality, it’s other people and the relationships we surround ourselves with that help us make the right turns in our growth journeys. If we’re serious about growing in key aspects of our lives, then what we also need to focus on are the relationships that help us reach those destinations.

As we wrap up our series on the five growth lanes of C.L.E.A.R. by Maxwell Leadership®, we’re discussing the final lane, Relationships, and the power the relationships in our life have to influence our personal growth and development. Whether you’re looking for ways to continue your personal growth in a specific area or achieve your leadership development goals, you don’t have to do it alone! We’ve developed C.L.E.A.R. to provide you not only the resources, but also the guides and the community to partner with you each step of the way. We invite you to follow along with our blogs in this series, and when you’re ready, learn more and subscribe to C.L.E.A.R. – your interactive, digital guide for personal growth and developing the leader in you.

The following is adapted from teachings by John C. Maxwell and C.L.E.A.R. Guide to Relationships Traci Morrow. 

If we want to be successful, we have to connect with the people around us.

THE RELATIONSHIP FACTOR OF PERSONAL GROWTH

Truly connecting with others is essential for our relationships. And our relationships are an essential factor in our personal growth. We often think our ability to grow depends solely on ourselves – but it’s the people in our lives and our relationships with them that can either hinder or positively influence our growth. If our goal is to add value to people, then we have to see value in other people and allow them to add value to us. So, even though we are ultimately responsible for our growth, it’s important not to discount the power our relationships and our ability to connect with others can have on our personal growth and leadership development goals.

FOUR WAYS RELATIONSHIPS CONTRIBUTE TO PERSONAL GROWTH

There are four key ways that relationships can positively influence our growth:

1. Expertise: They contribute insights from their own growth journeys that can help us decide how we want to move forward. These are often mentors or people who have walked before us and can guide us down the path.
2. Encouragement: They provide motivation, especially when we’re met with challenges. These relationships are key to not letting ourselves get discouraged or lose sight of our goals.
3. Accountability: They serve as checkpoints and make sure we’re moving in the right direction and not losing momentum.
4. Celebration: They cheer us on and help us recognize our achievements and milestones.

Whether it’s one person who serves all these roles or a tribe of people around you who contribute in different ways, it’s vital to have these relationships in your life and recognize the roles they play in your success.

WHO IS HELPING YOU GROW?

If you’re not sure how your relationships are contributing to your personal growth, here’s a quick exercise you can do: The next time you look at your goals, write down the name of at least one person who can help you with each of the four areas listed above. Also, think about anyone currently in your life who might be negatively impacting these areas and assess how you might need to adjust or repair that relationship.

To achieve significance in our lives, both personally and as leaders, it takes being intentional and authentic in our relationships. That means recognizing not only the value we add to others, but also the value others add to us – and then cultivating the interactions that lead to growth and leave people feeling honored, loved, and valued. 

Get to Know Your C.L.E.A.R. Guide for Relationships: Traci Morrow

Traci began learning from John Maxwell in 1991. Her goal was to own her own business and since she did not go to college, she chose John to be her mentor. What she learned right from the start was that he didn’t talk about business models but about adding value to people and leading with love and integrity. Traci immediately started to apply these lessons to her own relationships and found herself on a growth path to becoming a better version of herself. Through the years, Traci has been blessed to have rich, life-giving relationships, and today she is a celebrated author, speaker, and relationship life coach. She cannot wait to share and guide others in all that she has learned and implemented. She is passionate about the relationships in her life and relationships in general. She says, “Loving and valuing others is a skill that can be learned, mastered, and spread like a candle lighting another candle.” 

Looking for More? Subscribe to C.L.E.A.R. – Your Personal Growth Plan

C.L.E.A.R. by Maxwell Leadership is your interactive, digital guide for personal growth. C.L.E.A.R. is an acronym for five lanes of growth that leadership and personal growth expert John C. Maxwell believes is the path to develop your personal growth and leadership: Communication, Leadership, Equipping, Attitude, and Relationships. No matter where you are on your personal growth journey, C.L.E.A.R. by Maxwell Leadership will help you get to the next level.