Leading Edge: The Best Leadership Growth Happens in Community

Leading Edge: The Best Leadership Growth Happens in Community

I phoned home at the end of my very first International Maxwell Certification in March of 2017 simply to tell my husband, “I feel like I’ve found a home.” I’m lucky he didn’t take it personally!

I wasn’t altogether sure what I wanted from my John Maxwell certification. I knew the Maxwell Method of Speaking would be of use given presentation skills are needed at work, home, and frankly anywhere one needs to communicate. After being introduced to the Maxwell Method of Coaching, I knew a greater understanding of that skill could significantly enhance what I had to offer my team back home.

Leadership

But what got me most excited was a new Maxwell Method lane–Leadership. I joined the Mentorship Program and jumped on the weekly calls with Mark Cole, CEO of the John Maxwell Enterprise, right away. Even in my eagerness, I was blown away by the quality of teaching and guidance I received.

Unbeknownst to me, I was at the early stages of what would be my most challenging year in leadership to date. I had succession planning challenges in my key business, difficult discussions to have concerning a secondary business, large and small trials within a trade association I chaired, and decisions to make regarding the role I would and would not play in some family challenges.

With every new weekly trial, I brought questions to Mark on the calls and to others in the John Maxwell Team through the ongoing discussions on the Team and Mentorship Facebook pages. I leveraged the wisdom of this amazing group of leaders in my own decision-making processes.

My executive team created new arenas for my staff to discuss and learn about leadership, including Leadership Lunches, Mastermind Groups and mentoring opportunities. I’ve been able to coach the team in my second business to prepare them to move ahead without me in the future. I weathered setbacks and hopefully honored board leadership in the association. And I’ve set workable boundaries in my family setting.

My responses to people and situations were sometimes tempered by what I learned, and sometimes more assertive. With the encouragement inherent within the “JMT DNA”, I found leadership capabilities I never dreamed I possessed. I wasn’t perfect in all these areas, but when things didn’t work out as I would have liked, I had a community to help me debrief, change course and grow.

Being a part of the JMT community has enhanced my life in ways I didn’t expect.

• I have a supportive community of thousands of like-minded, values-focused leaders.
• I have made friendships across the globe with people of diverse experience to help me better understand the world in which I live.
• I approach my own strengths with confident grace, rather than downplaying them in a false humility.
• I can accept my “failures” as growth experiences, rather than opportunities to heap shame on myself.

My year-and-a half on the John Maxwell Team has given me all this and so much more.

 

BIO:

Amy Smith Montoya is a John Maxwell Team certified coach and trainer helping teams and individuals identify leadership gaps and implement plans of growth.

As an entrepreneur in the multifamily real estate management industry, Amy works with many cross-departmental teams. She has held leadership positions in both state and national industry associations, as well as consulted internationally in board and organizational development.

Amy resides in both Arizona and California. For more information visit AmySmithMontoya.com or email her at amy@amysmithmontoya.com.