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How do you measure your track record as
a leader? Many people answer this by using things like rankings
on military evaluations, performance at the NTC, or hitting
challenging business goals. While I agree that motivating
others to accomplish tough goals is a big part of leadership,
real leadership goes beyond simply motivating people to
hit objectives. Great leaders develop the long-term capability
of an organization by teaching leadership to others. Bottom
line: if you are not teaching leadership, you are not really
leading.
Whether in the military or in business,
it is fairly common knowledge that great organizations start
with great leadership. We know this intuitively because
the capability of an organization is largely defined by
the quality and depth of their leadership. We have all heard
of Navy Seal teams or Army Special Forces teams that are
staffed from top to bottom with capable leaders. These organizations
are almost legendary in their ability to execute and win,
largely due to the quality of their people. The same holds
true for great manufacturing plants, marketing organizations
or sales teams. The organization with the most number of
leaders wins.
Having been in the recruiting business
for over three decades, I have talked extensively with companies
about leadership. Many organizations believe that cultivating
leaders comes largely from a great recruiting strategy (i.e.,
attract and hire great leaders). While I agree that having
strong leaders in an organization starts with good recruiting,
this is only the beginning. Great organizations not only
recruit leaders, they grow them as well.
Who is responsible for growing leaders
in a corporation? The answer is at the heart of my message
this month. Great leaders are great at teaching leadership
to other leaders. However, finding leaders who prioritize
grooming other leaders is a scarce resource in Corporate
America and the military. I hear military officers often
say that the tempo in the military reduces the time available
to focus on leadership development. I talk with business
leaders who say they are too busy trying to make end of
quarter numbers to focus on developing the leadership capability
of their people.
Reflect on the people who you think
are great leaders. Chances are very high that you feel this
way about someone because of the active role they played
in developing you as a leader. You judge their leadership
skill by their impact on your development. The tough thing
is measuring yourself by the same standard. Do people say
the same thing about you? Regardless of your job title,
the responsibility to teach leadership to others rests with
YOU. What have you done in the last year to grow the leadership
capability of your organization? How many people are you
mentoring in your organization or unit? When was the last
time you helped someone improve his/her leadership capability?
Don't wait to be in formal leadership
roles to start teaching leadership. In both the military
and business, the opportunity to teach others exists in
informal roles with your peers as well. With today's business
climate, it is a great time to launch a Mastermind group
to discuss leadership topics at work. There are great leadership
books on the market to hone your leadership skills. Re-dedicate
yourself to setting a leadership example for the peers around
you (especially in the face of difficult challenges at work).
When you are confused about how
you are doing as a leader, find out how the people around
you are doing. That is where you will find the answer.
Copyright 2002. Cameron-Brooks, Inc.
All rights reserved.
