GROWING Leaders, Not Weeders
“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”
~Aristotle
As a leader you are heavily focused on getting results with your team. You look for people who have initiative and drive. Those leaders who can follow up and remember details that are important to the organization’s success. You look for people who have good communication skills, listen and who are empathetic. You are always on the look-out for those employees who can anticipate what to do next, can train and develop others and who stay proactive in keeping production efficient. They are few and far between.
It’s not easy. We look for those who show signs of past successes and can take on the challenges facing our organizations. Not every organization has the budget to train, but let’s be honest, we don’t want to train, we want people who can train themselves and grow with the position. The good ones don’t need you, but some simply need the opportunity and direction in their development.
Our own mental health improves, employee stress is lowered, and organizations succeed with better leaders who are growing and developing on their own. Those that want to improve and learn bring a different energy to the organization. Can you force people to learn? Can you force a horse to drink water? Probably not, but there are ways to make them thirsty, and giving them an opportunity to learn is the first step.
Tap into the beliefs of the leaders you are developing. Make them thirsty to become better, and encourage them to take the initiative to grow themselves. Give them purpose, mastery and if at all possible, give them autonomy. Not everyone will thrive in this environment, but don’t stop, keep plowing the ground and planting the growth seeds. When you find a potential leader, you will know it. Water those seeds.
“An organization’s ability to learn and translate that learning into action rapidly is the ultimate competitive advantage.”
~Jack Welch
Go cultivate your leaders!
Jeff
