Leadership isn’t ultimately about what the leader can do. It’s about what the leader can multiply. A leader who develops others creates capacity that compounds over time. Their influence doesn’t stop with what they can do; it keeps expanding through the people they’ve poured into. In fact, the ability to develop others is one of the most important skill sets a leader can possess. Here are a few reasons why:
- Organizations outlast individuals. A leader who develops others builds something that survives and scales beyond their tenure.
- It’s the only way to handle increasing complexity. Healthcare, for example, is too complex, too fast-moving, and too high-stakes for any one leader to carry. An organization needs a team of people who can think, decide, and execute. That comes only from intentional development.
- It builds psychological safety and trust. When people feel invested in, they take ownership. They ask better questions, flag problems earlier, and commit more deeply. Development signals: You matter here, and your growth matters here. That changes culture.
- It helps keep good people. Research shows that people will stay if they feel invested in.
- It creates a leadership pipeline. Organizations that consistently develop leaders don’t scramble when someone exits. They already have people ready, because development was built into the culture, not treated as an afterthought.
Each person must see themselves as a chief development officer. The reason the direct supervisor is the key developer is that they know those they lead the best. This is what Precision Leader Development™ is all about. What specific skills are needed for the role? How does the person learn best? One size does not fit all.
For example, I am hearing impaired. For me, it is hard to comprehend verbally. I need to read and often see what is expected. Some people are more sensitive than others. Some people take a bit longer to develop. The teaching needs to take individual differences like experience and learning style into account. The more the leader can do so, the more precise the development can be. And that leads to a person’s development being more effective.
The most lasting thing a leader can do isn’t solving the hardest problem in the room. It’s developing someone who can solve problems the leader will never even encounter.
