I waited FIVE years to say this…
If you have been following me for some time, you know that I took a leap of faith three years ago and left my high paying corporate job to follow my passion. You also know how deeply passionate I am about leadership and developing other leaders. It is also a fact that I didn’t start as a very good leader. You see, even bad leaders possess the ability to become a great leader if they are willing to change. This includes the key steps of onboarding a great mentor and being open to change.
Following these initial steps will light your path to success.
Five years ago this month, I was lucky enough to find a great mentor – “the one” – who showed me how to become a servant leader. I have always been someone (it’s a strength I have called “Maximizer”) who seeks to learn from the best there is and strive for excellence.
As a result, I set my sights very HIGH when I began my quest to find the best leadership expert in existence. Of course, all roads led to John Maxwell.
It was that fateful day that started my reinvention five years ago when John invited me to have lunch with him one-on-one. That monumental day changed my entire trajectory and quite frankly, my life as I knew it. The two hours we spent together over a meal brought so much clarity and opened my eyes to the many possibilities out there for a girl who wanted to change the world. All I needed to do was establish my direction and be open to soaking in the wisdom from someone who had built their career in the space I wanted to learn more about.
I tell you what, ever since that special meeting took place with John, it IGNITED a spark within me that gave me the hope and courage to go after what I wanted in my life. It was during that conversation that I realized I was in the wrong place and that someone truly believed in me. When John Maxwell says, “he believes in you” it was like someone taking a match and lighting a wildfire in my heart.
From that day on, I committed to myself that I was going to go “all in” on my future and work as hard as I could at developing myself to become a better leader. I wanted to be a leader who is capable of developing others to grow and follow their dreams.
We all need someone to help us see what we can’t see when we are stuck and help us to find the courage to keep going.
For the last five years, I have been working on myself every single day. This includes taking classes on leadership, listening to podcasts, reading books, interviewing leaders who are “best in class” and mastering my craft. I look back at the people that I have been able to help in their journey. Many have shared that I “ignited that spark” for them, just like John did for me!
Just one week ago, I was invited to have lunch with John. Just like our first get together, it was a very special one-on-one experience and it was a moment I had looked forward to for so long. I thanked him for what he had given me five years ago. It was a moment where I was able to share with him that his gift of time was not taken for granted or wasted. Instead, it was the moment where I was able to tell him what had been on my mind for the last five years as we sat face-to-face: Thank you for believing in me!
As I close out my 2020, I have seen so many silver-linings in a year that could have been missed if I wasn’t looking for them. You might think there were only a few such positives in a year notoriously associated with negative. I would correct you by telling you there are more positives than I can count. Ending this year being able to see John again and tell him what he started within me has been at the top of my list.
You sometimes don’t realize what you can do for someone and how it has the potential to create a ripple effect into the future. That can actually spark hope for thousands or millions of those who need it.
As you end this year, who is the person that has sparked hope in your life that you need to say “thank you” to? I challenge you to make it a point to reach out and call them, video chat with them, or send them a letter to let them know what their gift of time has meant to you.
Peace and Love,
Kelly Merbler