I recently had a conversation with the President of a very successful General Contractor and part of the conversation revolved around developing leaders to replace upper management in the future. The jest of the statement was “I have another ten or fifteen years doing this but then what – who is going to step up to the plate?” This is a topic that many business owners and managers consider every day. So the question is, what are we doing to prepare others to be capable and competent to sit in that chair in the future? Additionally, what happens if for some unfortunate reason, that ten to fifteen years is shortened? What are you, as a business owner or leader doing today to plan for tomorrow?
Typically leaders fail to develop other leaders for two reasons:
- They lack the training to do so, or
- They posses the wrong attitudes about allowing or encouraging them to come alongside of them.
As a leader, it is important to identify those around you that are capable and willing to pay the price to become the type of leader that will be required to meet the specific needs of the organization.
John Maxwell in his Developing The Leaders Around You, suggests five things to keep in mind when we examine potential leaders in determining what each needs:
- Expose the potential leader to people successful in his field.
- Provide a secure environment where the potential leader is free to take risks.
- Provide the potential leader with an experienced mentor.
- Provide the potential leader wit the tools and resources she needs.
- Spend the time and money to train the potential leader in his areas of need.
In the current economy, we are all challenged with spending time and resources on items that do not necessarily show up on a profit/loss spreadsheet. The challenge today is to take the time to look beyond the responsibilities and demands of now and to look at the bigger picture of what lies ahead.
If you are a successful business owner or leader, you probably care not only about the bottom line, but about the people that account for your success and their future. Longevity of the business and an adequate succession plan are critical to the long term health of the business. Future leader development is a critical element of any succession plan and that planning needs to start now.
General George S. Patton once remarked,
“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”
I am not suggesting that you simply turn people loose, but you want to give them enough freedom to be creative. Give them opportunities to be responsible, authoritative and accountable and see how they perform.
Consider the people that you influence and then consider the people they influence. If their is a consistent connection of success downstream, I would suggest you have identified a potential leader. It may be a good time to invest in them and in your future.
Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 6/10/12
