--- title: Newton Institute | Personal Growth description: Personal Growth | --- [![logo](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/hubfs/NewtonInstitute_Jan2017/Layout/NI-Logo-Horizontal-Solid-Color-web.png)](https://newtoninstitute.com/) - [LEADERSHIP TRAINING](https://newtoninstitute.com/leadership-training) - [KEYNOTES](https://newtoninstitute.com/keynotes) - [BLOG](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com) - [RESOURCES](https://newtoninstitute.com/resources) - [Books](https://newtoninstitute.com/resources#books) - [FREE Downloads](https://newtoninstitute.com/resources#free-downloads) - [ABOUT](https://newtoninstitute.com/about) - [CONTACT](https://newtoninstitute.com/contact) Search ... - [LEADERSHIP TRAINING](https://newtoninstitute.com/leadership-training) - [KEYNOTES](https://newtoninstitute.com/keynotes) - [BLOG](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com) - [RESOURCES](https://newtoninstitute.com/resources) - [Books](https://newtoninstitute.com/resources#books) - [FREE Downloads](https://newtoninstitute.com/resources#free-downloads) - [ABOUT](https://newtoninstitute.com/about) - [CONTACT](https://newtoninstitute.com/contact) # BLOG ## Insights and thought leadership from the team at Newton Institute. ## [7 Leadership Lessons from 2016](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/7-leadership-lessons-from-2016) Posted by [John Stahl-Wert](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/author/john-stahl-wert) on January 19, 2017 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/2016_Header-1.jpg)](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/7-leadership-lessons-from-2016) Early-20th-century philosopher and poet, George Santayana, said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” With that in mind, here’s a quick look back at seven world-changing events from 2016 and leadership lessons we can learn from them. **Lesson #1: Don’t Lose Touch with the Needs of Those You’re Leading (Brexit)** On June 23, 2016, surprising the pundits and ruling class, British citizens [voted](http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/world/europe/britain-european-union-brexit.html) on a referendum to pull the United Kingdom out of the European Union. Lessons: 1. Leaders can lose the pulse of the people. A commitment to truly serve those we lead presses us to stay close in touch with them, but it’s important to be intentional about this. 2. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. There’s always a group that yells the loudest, but we must not believe that volume equals majority. We must look past the noise to hear what people are really saying, experiencing, and feeling. [Read More](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/7-leadership-lessons-from-2016) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/7-leadership-lessons-from-2016#comments-listing) Topics: [2016](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/2016), [Aleppo](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/aleppo), [Brexit](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/brexit), [Cavaliers](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/cavaliers), [Chicago Cubs](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/chicago-cubs), [Current Events](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/current-events), [Dr. John Stahl-Wert](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/dr-john-stahl-wert), [Fidel Castro](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/fidel-castro), [Hillary Clinton](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/hillary-clinton), [John Stahl-Wert](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/john-stahl-wert), [leadership](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/leadership), [Leadership Development](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/leadership-development), [leadership growth](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/leadership-growth), [leadership lessons](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/leadership-lessons), [Olympics](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/olympics), [Personal Growth](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/personal-growth), [Rio](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/rio), [Syria](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/syria), [Trump](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/trump), [World Series 2016](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/world-series-2016), [year in review](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/year-in-review), [Newton Institute](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/newton-institute) ## [Common Leadership Challenge #2: Aligning What We Say With What We Do](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/common-leadership-challenge-2-aligning-what-we-say-with-what-we-do) Posted by [John Stahl-Wert](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/author/john-stahl-wert) on October 5, 2016 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Lily-pad-drops.jpg)](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/common-leadership-challenge-2-aligning-what-we-say-with-what-we-do) In my [last post](http://johnstahlwert.com/common-leadership-challenge-1-turn-vision-into-reality/), I wrote on the leadership challenge of turning vision into reality, or as some would say, bridging the strategy-execution gap. In this entry, I want to share briefly on how leaders can get what they *say* to line up with what they *do.* In other words, as leaders, how can we fix our misalignments so that everything we’re saying and doing is moving in the same direction? True story: Mr. T.S. Wong, founder of one of the largest toy manufacturers in the world, Jetta, made a decision 38 years ago that he would focus his leadership efforts on aligning what his company said with what they did. None of his contemporaries in the People’s Republic of China in 1977 were thinking this way. “If they promised it,” Mr. Wong said, “They would do it.” He was determined that his company would not represent what they weren’t. If they said it, they would be it. [Read More](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/common-leadership-challenge-2-aligning-what-we-say-with-what-we-do) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/common-leadership-challenge-2-aligning-what-we-say-with-what-we-do#comments-listing) Topics: [Alignment](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/alignment), [Great Leaders](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/great-leaders), [Keys to Leadership](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/keys-to-leadership), [leadership](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/leadership), [Leadership Development](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/leadership-development), [Personal Growth](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/personal-growth), [Say Do Gap](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/say-do-gap), [Serving Leaders](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/serving-leaders), [Serving Leadership](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/serving-leadership), [Serving the World](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/serving-the-world), [Workplace Coaching](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/workplace-coaching), [Newton Institute](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/newton-institute) ## [Common Leadership Challenge #1: Turning Vision into Reality](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/common-leadership-challenge-1-turn-vision-into-reality) Posted by [John Stahl-Wert](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/author/john-stahl-wert) on September 12, 2016 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Chicago-Joe.jpg)](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/common-leadership-challenge-1-turn-vision-into-reality) As leaders, we each bring value to the world in our own distinct way. The uniqueness of the start of our leadership journey is extraordinary as we are born into the world and then move out to engage it, seeking to have impact, hoping to make friends, longing to achieve results, and aspiring to make a difference. However, we can find profound similarities among us all in our calling to serve. Several fundamental challenges are consistent across our individual leadership journeys. One of these common leadership challenges is learning how to translate vision into reality. Or, as we more usually say it: How can we bridge our strategy-execution gap? [Read More](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/common-leadership-challenge-1-turn-vision-into-reality) 0 Comments [Click here to read/write comments](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/common-leadership-challenge-1-turn-vision-into-reality#comments-listing) Topics: [grow great people](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/grow-great-people), [leadership](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/leadership), [Leadership Challenge](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/leadership-challenge), [Leadership Development](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/leadership-development), [leadership growth](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/leadership-growth), [performance](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/performance), [Personal Growth](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/personal-growth), [Serving Leaders](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/serving-leaders), [Serving the World](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/serving-the-world), [Strategy-Execution Gap](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/strategy-execution-gap), [Vision](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/vision), [Newton Institute](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/topic/newton-institute) [All posts](https://blog.newtoninstitute.com/all) ### Subscribe to the Newton Institute Blog ### Recent Posts ### Posts by Topic - 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