416. Why Your Leadership Success Depends On This One Ability
As a leader, you can only go as far as your team takes you. Great leaders build other leaders.
When you first stepped into a leadership role, your skills and experience likely played a big part in getting you there. However, the qualities that made you a successful individual contributor won't necessarily translate into being an effective team leader.
It’s not just about you anymore – your team’s success is now yours.
Now it is about empowering those around you to reach their full potential and driving your team towards collective success.
As the saying goes, "When a leader develops a leader, the return is exponential." An individual leader can only achieve so much on their own. However, a leader who builds up other leaders creates a cascading effect that allows their impact to multiply again and again.
As a leader, you must ask yourself: Are your team members equipped to spearhead the long-term changes your organization needs? Do they possess the abilities to meet current objectives and cultivate future leaders who can join the mission?
As the team leader, it is up to you to address gaps and build leadership skills.
Great leaders don't just accomplish goals themselves – they create an environment where others can thrive as leaders, too.
Supporting Insights
“The top three keys to success are the team you build, the team you build, and the team you build.” —Shellye Archambeau, former CEO of MetricStream
“The leaders of great organizations do not see people as a commodity to be managed to help grow the money. They see the money as the commodity to be managed to help grow their people.” - Simon Sinek from Leaders Eat Last
“You cannot be a great organization without great leadership. All the moves are critical, but this is the first among equals. Leadership growth always precedes organizational growth.” - Mark Miller from Chess Not Checkers: Elevate Your Leadership Game
“No matter what type of business, the only way to generate a competitive advantage and long-term profitability is to attract, develop, and retain talented employees.” - Fred Kofman from Conscious Business
“The ultimate leader is one who is willing to develop people to the point that they surpass him or her in knowledge and ability.” Leslie Pockell & Adrienne Avila from The 100 Greatest Leadership Principles of All Time
Keep Learning
Bill George: Guiding two decades of the authentic leadership movement
“The old model of leaders as bosses who issue orders, delegate authority for getting things done, and then micro measure the performance of their subordinates won’t work anymore. People today want to have opportunities to make a difference early in their careers, and to work collaboratively with their teammates.”
Today, We Need Leaders Who Create Leaders
“The ability to develop the leadership potential of those on your team used to be a “nice to have” skill in your arsenal. Today, it’s a necessity.”
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Why Become A Better Leader?
2024 starts the second year of The Business Leader Daily, and our mission remains the same: to help business leaders grow into great leaders. Why? Your impact on the organization can be enormous if you're a business leader. Effective leadership leads to better team and company engagement, commitment, and performance.
It's not about what we do but what we encourage others to do. This is a great reminder, and it's so important to teach it before someone enters a leadership/management role.