Several years ago I attended a leadership conference where the speaker said that my job was to find my replacement!
My first thought was, hey I need this job and there is no way I am going to teach someone what I do just to have them take over and put me out of a job! Then the speaker said, “you want to find your replacement so you can move on and go to the next level of success.”
There was an “ah ha” moment for me.
When you develop leaders you do less others do more.
Your work is to work yourself out of a job, to work others in…
so you can move on and do more.
Five leadership development tips:
- Give access. Allow others to follow you around and watch what you do and say.
- Share how you think. Share your story. Explain the reasons behind your behaviors, actions and decisions.
- Learn how others think. Connect with other leaders. Uncover untapped attitudes, aptitudes and skillsets.
- Give new challenges. Stretch and test on purpose with the purpose to not only grow and expand yourself, but to allow others to see how you “over come” challenges.
- Keep your eyes, ears and “gut” open and sensitive to those individuals that are hard/smart workers and performer at a high level with quantifiable and qualify-ableresults beyond individual contributors to team builders.
- Be humble. Always be a student. Let others teach you. Ask for and listen to suggestions and advice. Seek good counsel.
Peter Liciaga is an Martial Arts Education Activist living in Mount Laurel New Jersey.
