Growing and Developing Your People As A Leader: The Investment

Successful leaders understand the difference between things and people in an organization. They know that it’s important to manage things, but that it’s even more important to lead people. Leaders don’t just mouth empty phrases like “people are our greatest resource;” they demonstrate by their actions that people (not strategy, products, plans, processes, or systems) are the most critical factor in an organization’s performance. That’s why leaders invest heavily in growing and developing people.

“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of the leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.” – Simon Sinek

When it comes to leadership, many often find themselves questioning their purpose. Time is spent pondering thoughts like:

• “What it the point?” 
• “Where is the progress?” 
• “Is anyone listening?”
• “Why do I feel so burnt out?”

It is easy to get caught up in the tangibles of leadership: sales, numbers, client relationships, and so on. But when it comes to what inspires you to keep showing up each day, it is often the investment you make in those around you that provides the real value. This approach to leadership is more than simply offering encouraging words; it is offering the right words to generate an environment where others have the opportunity to grow even if you feel stuck.

Growing and Developing Others To Avoid Burnout

Practically speaking, small changes in your day-to-day leadership can and should help offset feelings of burnout and frustration throughout your entire organization. Here are a few:

1. Find ways to go beyond just meeting with people about their direct reports and to-do lists. Do they feel they can be successful? What needs to change in order for them to feel this way? You may be picking up the slack for others, because you are not seeking out ways to ensure they are being set up for success and timely work ethic. Picking up the slack for others will inevitably create a bitterness toward work that you can not afford to carry each day as a leader. Find ways to help them, so that it helps you. 
2. Find ways to speed up decision making. This, of course, does not mean be irrational and lack wisdom in situations. Specific situations do need time and focused attention. However, many decisions can be made quickly to ensure that work can be done promptly and efficiently. Waiting around, trying to appease everyone, and even avoiding simply making the decision will all act as a discouragement. Decision making is what keeps businesses going and leaders need to find ways to confidently make decisions instead of avoiding them.
3. Take ownership. Frustration with a situation at work, as a leader, ultimately falls upon you. If personnel issues exist, intervene and move forward. If work is not being finished, speak up and figure out a solution. If a system is not working, dissect the why behind that and create a new plan moving forward.

Leaders are placed with great responsibility on their shoulders each and every day, some by others, much by themselves. As a leader, you cannot do it all, and ultimately, while you may have pushed your business to reach its success, you need your people. Which is why it is so important to invest in the growing and developing of others in your organization.

Understand that not all great ideas will come because you’re in the room. Many great ideas will come, because you chose to knock at the right door and point to the person inside of another room, helping them step out of their room with that great idea. 

If you’re questioning your purpose as a leader, this is it. Start knocking. 

Great leaders never stop growing and learning.

Professional coaching is one great resource to utilize for both developed leaders as well as new leaders.

I want to see you succeed as a leader! Through my professional coaching, I help you succeed, which in turn helps your company and those around you succeed as well. It can be isolating sometimes as a leader. You are asked to make big decisions. Through coaching, I give leaders a place to talk through the stresses they feel every day with someone who has dealt with the same struggles.