DON'T Add Another Hour of Leadership Development
Most leaders say they don't develop others because they’re too busy.We understand that because visionary leaders are busy people. If you’re not a visionary leader then you’re probably not very busy. Vision always produces more work.Take a director of a department for example. They have a lot of responsibility, a lot of team members to manage, a lot of projects to oversee, a lot of planning to do, a lot of customers to meet with, a lot of meetings to lead, a lot of tasks to be completed, a lot of events to attend, and a lot of think time to put in to keep their vision fresh.Where does leadership development fit in? How could this busy leader squeeze in another meeting for developing a leader? Impossible?So you’re right, there’s not another hour to squeeze in another meeting for leadership development. But who says leadership development has to last an hour? Who says you have to be present when development is taking place? Who says you have to be the master dispenser of content? Who says others only learn when you're talking? Isn't leadership just as much caught as taught?Maybe leadership development is not something NEW you add to your schedule but something you insert into your EXISTING schedule.So let the individual you want to develop...
- Assist you with some of your responsibilities
- Sit in while you meet with one of your team members and observe your process of leading a one on one meeting
- Meet with you when you meet with your customer
- Take on a portion of one of your projects
- Plan with you during your planning time
- Watch you plan for the meeting you’re about to lead
- Take on some of the small tasks on your list
- Ride along with you to your events
- Brainstorm with you in your think time
By doing this you didn’t add one additional hour to your schedule, you just maximized what you’re already doing for the purpose of multiplication of a new leader. All you have to do is tell them, "Follow me and ask me good questions."What are some ways you're integrating leadership development into your existing schedule?
