Most organizations I deal with want to develop young leaders. I often hear the phrase that “we want to get younger.” I understand what they are saying. They wish to remain relevant and have long-term viability.
The reality is that young leaders do not arrive on your team as finished products. We are willing to wait for their maturation because of the incredible energy and vitality they bring.
So the question begs to be asked, “How do you coach and develop young leaders while not dampening their potential and enthusiasm?”
One of the best young players in baseball is the Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen. In the June 18th edition of Sports Illustrated, writer Joe Lemire takes us into the team’s strategy for player development using McCutchen as an example.
First, it is important to know that:
- Young Leaders Often Experience Initial Success – In his first two 172 games in the minors, McCutchen hit over .297 with 16 home runs and 39 stolen bases. And…
- Young Leaders Will Experience Struggle – At the start of the 2007 season, McCutchen went 0 for 15. After the first month of the season, he was hitting .189. He admitted, “I had never struggled in my life.”
This is when it gets interesting.
Experienced leaders often see flaws in young leaders even during their initial success. Pirate scouts noticed flaws in McCutchen’s swing early but did not say anything. Why?
It is important to know WHEN to step in and administer coaching. One of the biggest mistakes those in senior leadership make is administrating corrective (developmental) coaching too early.
If you step in and try to make changes in successful young leaders too early, young leaders feel micro-managed, have their confidence damaged, lose confidence in management, or all of the above.
Lemire points out that “there was no reason for the club’s instructors to fix something that didn’t seem to be broken.”  It was during his slump though that McCutchen learned that talent alone was not enough. The team feels it was at this point he became “a professional.”
Pittsburgh’s General Manager Neal Huntington says, “You’ve got to pick your spots. There are teaching moments.” Here are four things the Pirates knew about picking their spots:
- Exercise Patience – Wait and see how far a young leader’s talent will take them.
- Allow The Young Leader To Realize There Is A Problem -  You cannot teach someone what they think they already know. Therefore, allow them to make mistakes.
- Select Young Leaders Who Are Humble, Mature, And Have A Calm Demeanor – These will be the leaders most open to coaching. McCutchen says, “Anyone can be coachable if you just accept the fact you need to change.”
- Embrace And Utilize Adversity – Pittsburgh Assistant General Manager Kyle Stark says, “Adversity is a great teacher. Our philosophy here is that we’re trying to maximize what guys do naturally, so we want to see that before we change things.”
Do you maximize what your leaders do naturally or do you over-correct their behavior?  If you practice the four things listed above, you are most likely doing a great job developing young leaders.
What additional techniques are you practicing to successfully develop young leaders?
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