A common misconception about leadership is that it is an innate skill instead of something people learn. A phrase many people say about leaders is, "They are just born with it." Unfortunately, this causes people to doubt their leadership skills and choose to imitate other leaders they read about or witnessed lead well instead of being their true selves. Thankfully, each person is created as a leader, and the belief that leadership can be taught to anyone has been confirmed through recent science about how our brains are designed. Authors Kozes & Posner state, “One of the biggest myths about leadership is that some people have “it” and some don’t. A corollary myth is that if you don’t have “it,” then you can’t learn “it.” Neither could be further from the empirical truth. As John C. Maxwell says, "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less." We all influence people around us, so we are all leaders. At Cultivate Leadership Institute (CLI), we believe that leadership is defined as influencing people to positive change. Said another way, we believe that leadership is influencing people to pursue God’s agenda for their lives.
CLI is a Christian Leadership Program that equips individuals to learn about how God made them and how to use those skills to lead people in their community. CLI is a remote learning environment that utilizes biblical principles as the foundation for helping people grow in their leadership abilities. The program aids individuals in becoming mature, healthy leaders through instruction, training, and guidance. CLI recognizes how God created the brain and its ability to adapt, empowering individuals to lead in their God-given way. Recent research confirms that we can all grow in our leadership skills through neuroplasticity, practice, and growth mindsets.
Neuroplasticity
Recent research has shown that our brains are adaptable, referred to as neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity describes the brain's ability to grow and change in response to life experiences, which occurs at all ages (Mateos-Aparicio and Rodríguez-Moreno, 2019). Based on our brain's capacity to change, we can also grow in our leadership skills. CLI utilizes biblical principles to help individuals learn more about themselves and the habits they want to adjust. Through neuroplasticity, individuals can make these changes and invite God into the space to improve their leadership skills.
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Practice
To effectively change our habits and improve our leadership skills, we must practice these new habits consistently. Dr. Caroline Leaf has researched the time it takes to change the neuropathways in the brain and found that it takes about 63 days for the brain to transform and for neuroplasticity to occur (Leaf, 2018). Based on this research, CLI offers assignments, live class discussions, and small groups throughout the month to encourage consistent practice of the learned material. The multiple touch points throughout the month and the opportunity to complete the 2-year long program allow leaders to develop their leadership skills for lasting change.
Growth Mindset
Our leadership skills are not innate qualities but are taught through our experiences in life. Carol Dweck coined the term growth mindset, which is the belief that one's abilities and talents can be developed (Dweck, 2007). If you doubt your leadership skills, CLI will bring to life your leadership qualities to influence those around you. CLI encourages this mindset, specifically in the emotional intelligence course. Individuals learn how to improve social and personal emotional skills, which helps each person develop into healthier leaders.
References
Dweck, C. S. (2007). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House Publishing Group.
Kouzes, James M. & Posner, Barry Z. (2017). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen In Organizations. 6th Edition Wiley Publishers.
Leaf, C. (2018). Switch on Your Brain Every Day: 365 Readings for Peak Happiness,
Thinking, and Health. Baker Publishing Group.
Mateos-Aparicio P, Rodríguez-Moreno A. (2019). The Impact of Studying Brain
Plasticity. Front Cell Neurosci. 2019;13:66.
