Put It in Print

By Rick Jett

(From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”)

The best advice I ever received was from Alan Ahlgrim, former senior minister of Rocky Mountain Christian Church in Colorado. About 20 years ago, Alan was teaching one of the graduate classes I was taking at Cincinnati Christian University. One lesson was about personal growth of a leader. He said good leaders are constantly growing. They will read, take classes, attend conferences, and interview other leaders. He explained that growing leaders will set goals. He walked us through an exercise of writing goals and action steps to reach those goals. Then, he said, “If you cannot commit it to writing, you cannot commit, and if you do not plan it, you will not do it.”Â 

Ever since then, during the last week of the year, I review my written goals, and write new ones for the new year. I haven”t always accomplished all my goals, but I have accomplished a lot more than I would have, had I not committed them to print.

Rick Jett serves as executive director of International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES), Noblesville, Indiana.