Developing a Strong Bench of Emerging Leaders

Not too long ago, in a coaching conversation, a leader described one of his team members like this:

"Technically, he’s excellent. But he still needs confidence."

This team member was smart, capable, and eager to learn.

But every challenge still required reassurance from the leader.

So, the leader began shifting his approach.

Instead of answering every question, he started asking one in return:

"What do you think the solution is?"

That small shift changed everything.

This is a practice I employed when I ran a busy law firm years ago. Employees were incentivized to bring solutions to my office whenever they had a challenge. It may not have been an effective solution, but I was able to determine their reasoning capabilities. 

Leadership Insight

Emerging leaders do not grow solely through instruction. They grow through responsibility supported by coaching. If internal coaching is not feasible, engaging an outside coach is very effective, as their opinions are generally unbiased.

Many leaders unintentionally limit development by solving problems too quickly.

When leaders create space for others to think, decide, and occasionally struggle, leadership capacity expands.

From the CEO Blueprint™

This is the heart of Step 3 in my blueprint: Developing Your Leadership Team.

Organizations scale when leadership responsibility extends beyond a single person.

Developing emerging leaders requires:

• coaching • exposure to decision making • accountability • trust

Leadership Reflection

Consider:

• Who on your team has leadership potential?

• What responsibility could help them grow?

• Where might you be stepping in too quickly?

Faith Perspective

Leadership development is also a form of mentorship.

Throughout Scripture, we see leaders investing in others. Moses invested in and mentored Joshua, and Paul did the same for Timothy. (Reach out to me if you need more info on the faith perspective.)

The truth is: Great leadership multiplies itself.

Your Turn

Who helped develop you as a leader?

Feel free to share in the comments what contributed most to your development.

If you would like to learn more about my CEO Blueprint™, please feel free to reach out to me. https://calendly.com/faithbasedcoach