Brigette Hyacinth* says poor leaders see their best team members as competitors. Good managers seek to make them even better.
True leaders do not create more followers — they create more leaders.
Sadly, what we mostly find in the business world are weak leaders who try to keep others down.
Their sole focus is on getting to the top, and they don’t care who they have to step on to reach there.
Strong leaders build and lift others up.
To elevate your employees takes strength, as helping them reach their full potential may mean preparing them to replace you.
Or they may leave your organisation for better opportunities elsewhere.
Only true leaders understand and appreciate this.
Here are some things that leaders can do to enable employees’ full potential:
Elevate: Put them in positions where they can utilise their skills and strengths.
Give them projects that will help them grow and develop their leadership skills.
Engage: Encourage them to share their ideas, suggestions and feedback.
Empower: Grant them autonomy to make decisions.
Recognise: Appreciate their efforts and contributions. Recommend them for opportunities.
Expand: Set goals that are realistic but would expand their performance threshold.
Equip: Provide them with the proper training and tools.
Energise: Inspire and encourage them to develop the capabilities you see in them.
Support: Mentor and coach them.
Working for a boss who tries to pull you down or holds you back creates feelings of resentment and distrust.
This leads to low employee morale and reduced engagement.
It even begins to negatively affect productivity and is reflected in an organisation’s high turnover rates.
Leadership needs to be about helping others become the best they can be.
It is built on a foundation of servanthood and not selfishness.
By providing employees with the opportunity to grow, we help them become more valuable members of the team, building the overall strength of the team.
It’s a total win-win situation. Your success is a result of your team.
Build your employees up and you build your organisation up.
When you help others succeed you will succeed and your legacy and impact will live on.
*Brigette Hyacinth founded the MBA Caribbean Organisation which conducts seminars and workshops in leadership, management and education. She can be contacted at www.mbacaribbean.org.
This article first appeared on Brigette’s blogsite
