One of a leader’s most important responsibilities to the organization and its staff is the development of subordinates. How do you handle this? Do you give others a chance to grow, to work on something a bit above their pay grade, to struggle with a complex issue? Or, do you like to jump in and wow others with the answers?
As I progressed in my leadership journey, the people I remember the most, the ones I am most grateful for, the ones I will still drop everything today to help when they call me, are the ones who gave me a chance to wrestle with issues, to grow, to stretch, to learn. People who protected me from tough situations or rescued me from them really ended up holding me back. They might have made them selves look better, but in the end, they just showed off at the expense of teaching me something new. That hurts both the organization and me.
Are you a “Sage on Stage”, or do you take satisfaction in seeing someone develop right in front of your eyes?