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GTY. After I'm gone. SA Newsletter Issue 54: 24 Jul 2012
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Greetings!
Are you familiar with the Greater Than Yourself (GTY) project by Steve Farber? Do look up the website at http://greaterthanyourself.com/ if you're not. Ian Tan of Lifeskills Enrichment introduced this to me a few years ago, and I thought it intriguing that someone had actually formalized what I had thought to be something common to all great leaders. It reminded me of the 100/0 principle movie on the Simple Truths website. If you haven't seen it already, go here: http://www.100-0principle.com/ My take is that if your business isn't growing the way you want it to, then you need to start taking a serious look at these two links. 
I have one thing to add to all the accumulated wisdom we've seen on the subject. That is, my concept of GTY is that whoever I am helping to be GTY will only be "Greater Than Myself" (GTM) after I am dead and gone. Am I wanting to remain superior to those I am trying to help become GTM? What do you think? No. Then what am I saying? I am saying that in order for me to truly make another person GTM, continuous growth is a prerequisite for myself. Indeed, it is an imperative.
How can I help others to be GTM if I myself do not grow continuously? If I cannot, like Alan Weiss, look backwards and say "I cannot believe how stupid I was two weeks ago", then I am not growing, and if I am not growing, then when I make someone else GTM, all I am doing is encouraging the establishment of monoliths who have already arrived and have nothing else to learn. No, I have the responsibility and the privilege of ensuring that those I help to be GTM will continue to grow long after I am dead and gone. That they will take all of what I have passed on to them and grow into beings greater than the mere sum of both of us. And that one of the most precious things I can give them is to have an attitude of wonder and gratitude to God who gives us all these things.
 Are you ready to start making your people GTY? Do not worry about those whom you think will leave you. They are the ones you should be happy to see leaving, for your sake, and theirs. Focus instead on the people whom you know will stay with you because you have demonstrated your willingness to be selfless. After all, if they are going to grow when they stay with you, why should they leave? Growth means greater wealth, and not just in terms of dollars and cents. Even if they do leave you and start their own enterprises, you will find that they will become valuable business partners down the road. So, go ahead, make someone GTY today! |
