As I’ve said before, leadership is the process of doing things with and through other people. Therefore, a leader needs to be someone worth following.
In other words, if no one follows you, you are not a leader.
I’ve found June a good time to do some inventory on my personal development. After all, if you are not growing, learning, changing, and improving, are you worth following?
Here are some personal development fundamentals I’ve practiced in the first half of 2025. The list is not exhaustive, nor is it in any kind of order.
- Success statements: I began the year focusing on success statements, and they’ve become a recurring theme in my planning. I now use them to prepare for business and personal trips. For example, before attending the Plastics Industry Fly-In meetings, I shared three success statements with my Executive Coach to clarify my goals. I apply the same approach when planning family trips.
- Making small tweaks rather than large changes: In February, I started taking notes while reading the Bible to refresh my study routine. This simple change freed me from over-analyzing my reading plan and allowed me to focus on the actual text. Similarly, I have discovered that small tweaks to the org chart are often more effective than large changes. Why? There is less disruption and often the tweaks make the organization flow with greater clarity.
- Reexamine inputs weekly: While listening to a Founders podcast one Monday morning in April, I realized that my mental energy — whether positive or negative — might be the most important thing I bring to our Monday morning meetings. This insight reminded me to be intentional about how I prepare my mindset.
- Say it all, preferably in person: This year I’ve focused on asking direct, challenging questions face-to-face. The key breakthrough has been learning to ask from genuine curiosity rather than judgment. I now check my motivation: Am I asking out of concern? Or am I asking out of pride, anger, or frustration? People respond better, and I’m more effective as a leader when my questions come from genuine concern.
- Make time for positive relationships: In April, I had dinner with my friend Tony — and it truly uplifted my soul. Often, I don’t feel like I have time for that sort of thing. I am wrong.
- Confess daily: I screw up all the time, and spend a lot of time in confession. I do not know how leaders go through their journey without confession and repentance.
- Focus is now a separator: I am at my best when I intently focus on something and do deep work. So are you. But I struggle with doing this. I imagine you do as well. To be someone worth following, we need to grow the focus muscle. Success statements help us focus on the few things that lead to our success.
- Go 3D on what matters: A customer who has become both mentor and friend gave me valuable advice about reading. They said the trend is to go 2D on many, many books. “But,” they advised, “you need to go 3D on what matters.”
- Reread books that make you think, smile, and cry: Yes, you need an outlet for your emotions. I am human enough to admit that. Re-listening to Unbroken in the first half of the year was one of my favorite moments.
- Use words: Tell your spouse, kids, and coworkers how much they matter. Positive affirmation is rare these days. They crave it.
- Call your mom: Yes, this is on a list of personal development because it is still important. The first half of this year was a reminder that life continues to move quickly. I caught myself, sometime in the middle of winter, going through my to-do list so rigidly that too much time had gone by without calling my mom in Florida. I fixed that immediately.
These fundamentals aren’t complicated or revolutionary — they’re simple practices that, when consistently applied, make the difference between managing tasks and truly leading people.