A church, business, non-profit, or athletic organization’s ability to succeed is in direct correlation to its ability to identify and raise up an increasing number of new leaders. Smart organizations know you never have enough leaders.
So the question begs, when I do have this abundance of leaders, how do I lead them effectively? How do I lead leaders?
First, you must be the embodiment of the vision. You must be a picture of the desired destination at which others should wish to arrive. As the leader, you must set the vision and philosophy for the organization. It is then up to the next level of leaders who are charged with implementing it with their teams and areas of responsibility every day. They must communicate the message themselves as they develop their own personal leadership voice.
Putting together your leadership team, your inner-circle, will be the most important thing you do as a leader. I look for three things for those closest to me:
- Skill – This is the “ability to”. This is a person’s competencies.
- Work Ethic – This is not “die trying.” This is focused, sustained effort on the right tasks and assignments.
- Passion – Do they own the result.
If a potential leader can answer these three questions, I then look at personality fit and long-term potential.
To lead leaders, you must continually be clear and consistent about your organization’s core values, philosophy, and measurements of success. This level of clarity sets expectations, identifies distractions, and frees your leaders up for solution-based creativity and maximum effort.
The best investment a leader can make is in other leaders. The following are 6 easy things you can do to invest in your inner-circle:
- Give them great books. Here is wonderful list.
- Expose them to other great leaders.
- Take them to great conferences.
- Spend time with them.
- Give them small leadership responsibilities they can succeed in. This builds their confidence and gives them experience.
- Include them in critical decisions.
An important step in developing leaders is constant feedback and accountability. There are many things as a leader you cannot control in your organization. You cannot control market shifts, changing government regulations, and rogue employees. But you can have great influence over your top leaders. Through feedback and accountability, you multiply your core values and philosophy throughout the organization.
Do not manage processes. Manage outcomes.
An important component of anyone in leadership is loyalty. Being loyal does not make you a leader but disloyalty disqualifies you from leadership.
So how do you get loyalty from your leaders? The Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said in his wonderful book Win Forever, “Rather than expecting loyalty for my coaches, I found that I got all the loyalty I could ask for my supporting them and advancing their careers… I make sure they know I am invested in their long-term success and that I will do everything I can so that they can get the job of their dreams.”
As Zig Ziglar once said, “If you help people get what they want, they will help you get what you want.”
Finally, your inner-circle should feel like family. And there are few things as wonderful as celebrating success with people who feel like family.
My book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is available for purchase. If you have ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be, this book is for you! By combining leadership lessons from biblical heroes like Jesus, Daniel and Joseph, along with modern day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady and multiple pastors, Timeless will equip and inspire you. This book is not to be read alone. Discussion questions are included in each chapter allowing you to develop those in your circle of influence. Click HERE or on the image provided and order your copies TODAY.