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Level 4 leadership is about bringing out the best in other people. When this is achieved you bring our the best in the team. This will require time, energy, money, and thinking into growing others as leaders. To underscore the importance of leading at this level Peter Drucker offers some insights that are worth listening to: Making the right people decisions is the ultimate means of controlling an organization well such decisions reveal how competent management is, what its values are, and whether it takes its job seriously. No matter how hard managers try to keep their decisions a secret, people decisions cannot be hidden. They are eminently visible…”

Consider 5 insights regarding being a people developer as a leader.

People Development Sets You Apart from Most Leaders

Most leaders are looking for ways to grow their organizations through production – Level 3. How do you grow your organization? By growing the people in it. If you are very serious about this, then grow not just people but leaders leaders. Denis Waitley, author, suggests that leading at this level requires that as a leader you belief that you are worth the time, effort and energy. This in turn splashes over to believing that others are valuable, there dreams are worth listening to, your time investment into that person will produce a return for the organization.

People Development Assures That Growth Can Be Sustained

Sustaining growth is not easy. Many new-starts fail within the first months of existence. Even companies who have declared their products and services as “built to last” don’t last. In the book, Flight of The Buffalo, the authors suggest that instead of leading from “head-buffalo” that we should start leading more like a flock of geese in the v-formation. In this paradigm shift they offer these 4 insights:

1.Leaders should transfer ownership for work to those who execute the work

2.Leaders create the environment for ownership where each person wants to be responsible

3.Leaders coach the development of personal capacities

4.Leaders learn fast themselves and encourage others to learn quickly.

When this approach is taken then everyone has the potential to lead in some area or capacity.

Don’t allow yourself to become the lid on your organization. Give it the best chance for a bright future by developing other leaders.

People Development Empowers Others to Fulfill Their Leadership Responsibilities

Many leaders invariably become the lid on their organizations. When you cannot lead others to reach their potential everything suffers. This is called the Peter Principle – people rise to the level of their incompetence. You must help people break through this organizational lid. It starts with the leader that invests in other people’s potential and fulfilling their dreams.

People Development Empowers the Leader to Lead Larger

Many leaders do not want to share responsibility with others because they don’t want to lose their power. When you make a choice to share leadership with others, it does not take anything away from you. Instead you get something in return that only comes by developing others – it gives you back time. Other people expand their territory and thereby expand yours as a leader. This frees you to do other important tasks and dream new dreams. If you truly want to be an effective leader you have to move from being a perfectionist to pragmatist.

People Development Provides Great Personal Fulfillment

Howard Schultz founder of Starbucks stated, “Victory is much more meaningful when it comes not just from one person, but from joint achievements of many. The euphoria is lasting when all participants lead with their hearts, winning not just for themselves but for one another.”

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Music: “Gratitude Mood” by David Arivett. You can learn more about his music by clicking on his name. THANKS DAVID!