skills , and gets to explore their potential and their gifts . It could be the stage where a leader has a deeper understanding of life experiences so as to be stronger or better .
Life Maturing
The fourth stage is referred to as Life Maturing . Here the leader gets to be more mellow , more confident and in touch with themselves and with God . The leader has the ability to look at situations and see the good within the challenges .
It is very much like the maturity stage of a brand in the product life cycle where a brand eventually gets to the point where a decision must be made for the next stage in life , to avoid a brand going into decline .
Convergence
The fifth stage is the convergence stage . This is one of the most interesting stages , because here , there is the possibility that leaders get stuck . The convergence stage feels like the part of life where the universe seems to be conspiring against you , or there is a higher power at work trying to guide your path in life , and it doesn ’ t always quite flow or make clear sense .
From a religious perspective , Clinton talks about faith in God and His vision for each individual . However , in life , there are things that fall within one ’ s control - what marketers refer to as the internal environment of an organization as compared to external factors that all businesses or sectors go through and are most difficult if not almost impossible to change . Internal factors here can be interpreted as self-reflection , making choices , personal development and clear goal setting . Here is where the concept of potential is even more key , making coaching as an intervention , a powerful tool to allow you to move to even greater heights .
Afterglow
The sixth stage is called the Afterglow , which Clinton defines as a season of less activity but of great influence throughout the network that the leader has taken the time to build and nurture . Leaders at this stage are regarded as fountains of wisdom and as such have both direct and indirect influence on the community and even beyond at country level or world level . What about leaders who are perceived as evil ? Leaders who have committed atrocious acts of cruelty and injustice to those around them ? Would they go through the same stages and ‘ perfect ’ their evil practices ? Food for thought .
Clinton ’ s work is based on Christian teachings , and whereas this author is not an expert in religion , it would be safe to say that religions from all over the world teach good practices and do not condone evil .
So , is a leader born or made ? What stage are you at in your leadership journey ? Sir John Whitmore said , “ We must see people in terms of their future potential and not their past performance .”
Thrity Engineer-Mbuthia is a seasoned marketing professional and a personal development coach . You can commune with her on this or related matters via mail at : Info @ thrityengineer . org .