“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership”  

Harvey S. Firestone

Harvey was the founder of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio. He founded his tire company in 1900. He became one of the early millionaires who built an organization on honesty, opportunity and creativity. Growth was a key component to all of Firestone’s thinking, planning and organizing. He knew that not only was the product critical, so to was the growth and development of the people in his organization. He developed a partnership selling tires that enabled him at one point to sell and equip more than 25% of all vehicles’ tires. In 1906, Firestone recorded the largest ever order of tires with a single sale of 2,000. Firestone tires would later adorn millions and millions of vehicles.

Firestone’s growth came because he was prepared when he met opportunity. Growth will remain dormant if opportunity is not seized upon.

Harvey grew up the son of a farmer. He left the farm and became a rubber tire salesman. He worked tirelessly and relentlessly. Around 1895, Firestone met a young engineer who believed the horse and buggy days would soon be over. This young engineer believed his new creation would change the world. Firestone convinced this young engineer that his new creation would need rubber tires. The young engineer agreed. His name was Henry Ford. Ford would go on to sell by 1927 over 15 million of his Model T automobiles—all equipped with Harvey Firerstone’s tires.

Harvey Firestone was prepared when his opportunity came. He built a relationship early on his career that would pay great dividends and not to mention a life-long friendship and loyalty with Henry Ford. He grew his business. He grew from his opportunity.

Let’s establish this one fact above all else: you can’t make anyone grow.

However, leaders and organizations have a responsibility, moreover, a calling to facilitate the growth and development of its’ people. Organizations and leaders that fail to see this fact as mission-critical will soon find themselves in critical condition.

Growth occurs when ability meets opportunity. You might have established the ability, but you lack the opportunity. Conversely, you might have an opportunity to grow, but you miss it due to a lack of ability. The result of growth will ultimately yield an increase. Development, maturation or fulfillment may all be synonyms for growth, but, generally, the constant is that there is no growth without increase.

Growth = Increase

You can grow (increase) in your thought process (this is called critical thinking). You can grow (increase) in your skill-set or technical ability (critical skills). And you can grow (increase) in you capability (critical capacity).

The Three Critical Conditions: Thinking, Skills, Capacity.

But you can also grow in your responsibility, accountability and loyalty. We will focus on these three critical elements of growth.

“Why I am not growing?”

This expression is often the mantra of the un-promoted and passed-over employee. This is because they are linking their personal growth to a promotion or an increase in authority, position or payment. In order, to fully develop, mature, bloom or increase in the organization the Growth-Opportunity Paradigm must align. The GRO-OP Paradigm provides insight into three critical components of Responsibility, Accountability & Loyalty that when combine attribute to producing opportunity in the organization.

Responsibility: You Can Grow without the Green Light to Go

Frustration often mounts when a developing leader thinks they are ready for the green light—to hit the gas. The green light means stepping on the gas or acceleration. The green light of authority, promotion, to launch a project, to terminate something or someone, or even just mentally to “move forward.” Developing leaders must first focus on personal growth and development—not promotion. Work on perfection (maturity) before promotion. You must take the ultimate responsibility for your own growth. This does not mean promotion or position. This means an increase in (a) critical-thinking, (b) critical skills, and (c) critical capacity. You should be asking your own questions and coming up with the appropriate answers. Then activating those answers in manner that is both consistent with the organization structure & goals (loyalty) and aligns with the organizational governance (accountability).

There is a difference in acknowledging responsibility and accepting responsibility. Acknowledging responsibility is unattached recognition. It’s the equivalent of a head-nod when a superior is speaking of responsibility, but there is not a listening of the heart or an understanding that you are receiving the responsibility. Acceptance of the responsibility is the reception of the burden of responsibility. It is an agreement when another is talking of the burden, that says, “I own this responsibility.” Acknowledging is like saying, “I am only renting this responsibility, if something goes wrong or doesn’t work like I think it should, then I will turn it back in.”

Acceptance of responsibility doesn’t mean you have all the answers or that you might even know what to do. It means that you are taking ownership of that responsibility and any adjacent or connected outcomes. You are not just responsible for the thing, you are responsible for the outcome—the life. This is real responsibility. Developing leaders don’t grow without receiving the burden and outcome of real responsibility. Aggressive, developing-leaders will take-responsibility, instead of waiting for it to be given (this is often the sign of a natural-born leader—it is an innate trait for them to take on responsibility—they are drawn to it).

Growth occurs when there is an increase in given-responsibility and an increase in received-responsibility.

Accountability: Found in Answerability.

“Rarely do we find men that are willing to engage in hard, solid thinking. There is almost an universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.”
Martin Luther King

Answerability:  The Culmination of Accountability and Critical thinking. Organizations must have developing layers of those willing to think critically and be held accountable.

There is no real responsibility without real accountability. You can’t give a responsibility and not verify that it was received, understood and managed. Otherwise, you didn’t give a real responsibility, you gave a ghost-responsibility. Ghost-responsibilities are those that only exist on paper but not in practice.

Accountability means that you are willing to give an answer and are willing to be held to it. Literally, accountability means answerability. To seize the growth-opportunity paradigm developing leaders must be ready, willing and able to give answers. Not answers that are platitudes, flattery or rubber-stamps. Rather, real answers for real responsibilities. This is what often crushes developing leaders or wanna-be leaders—the inability to answer for their actions or the actions of their subordinates.

accountability = answerability 

Accountability involves discerning the difference between excuses and reasons. Excuses are invalid and demonstrate immaturity. Reasons are valid and demonstrate critical-thought, understanding and maturation. Don’t make accountability about blame, focus on answering. Good answerability is built on a process of learning to ask the right questions, not assessing blame.

Too many developing members of the organization desire a promotion or an increase in authority, but have not demonstrated the ability to get real, positive results. You are known by who you are, what you do and who you do it with. Unfortunately, organizations are filled with any people who think that merely “talking the talk” qualifies them for leadership. A solid, consistent walk is much stronger than a bunch of empty words and meaningless talk. The old axiom says, “I’m from Missouri, Show Me!” Leaders must get results. Because, you are measured by your results. Too many developing leaders have no clue (a) what is being measured, (b) what the measurement means, and (c) what adjustments to make once the measurement is read.

Don’t wait for someone to come check on you and your results to be held accountable—that’s called judgment. Make yourself accountable at all times and in all situations. Leaders must have high responsibility and high personal accountability. Make yourself accountable. Unfortunately, too many people in high positions do just the opposite—the higher in the organization they rise, the more they discount their accountability!

Loyalty: The Lynch-Pin of Allegiance

We’ve established that responsibility and accountability are two of the central pillars in the Growth-Opportunity Paradigm. However, the third and most important is Loyalty. Loyalty is the missing ingredient to why so many developing leaders miss their opportunity.

Loyalty = Allegiance

A good way to describe a portion of loyalty/allegiance is faithfulness. Sadly, many developing leaders and team members are more driven by what they can get out of an organization than what they can put into it. This single statement is often a great test of a team member’s loyalty to the organization—putting in vs. taking out.

“Now, it is required of those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” 1 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV)

Immaturity is the demanding cry of “what’s in it for me?” Developing leaders often make this mistake. For example, they are going along fine until a decision that is made above them, that affects them or their responsibilities in a way they perceive is wrong or unjust, and instead of being supportive, they turn outside the chain-of-command to voice their displeasure or grievances. What they don’t realize is not only is this subversive in the organization, it is also subversive to their position as a leader. Voicing complaints or frustrations to subordinates is the quickest way to erode trust both with those whom lead you and those whom you lead. Unless the decision is immoral or illegal, developing leaders must learn to demonstrate loyalty by accepting the decision and supporting the decision-maker.

“When we are debating an issue, loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I’ll like it or not. Disagreement, at this state, stimulates me. But once a decision is made, the debate ends. From that point on, loyalty means executing the decision as if it were your own.”
General Colin Powell

There is an appropriate time and place to voice concern. If you are a critical-thinker, then you will arrive at concerns as you dissect problems and solutions. However, part of the dissection process doesn’t need to be public. Voice concerns up the chain-of-command, not down and always behind closed-doors or in the proper group setting.

Commitment is a growing struggle in our culture and so to in our organizations. You can no longer take for granted that team members and developing leaders even know what true commitment is and how it is applied. This is why there is such a great dichotomy between some who grasp responsibility, accountability and loyalty—a lack of commitment. Loyalty demonstrates the deepest level of commitment. It is evident that millennials truly struggle with a clear understanding of commitment. If you truly want to be developed as a leader and develop leaders in today’s culture and climate, then you must learn how to engage and train others in the art and practice of commitment.

Conclusion

Growth is dependent upon variables, but in people it is mostly dependent upon the person. Don’t make excuses for why your people aren’t growing—including yourself. Developing and articulating a system for growth can be tiresome, troublesome and elusive. However, focusing on these three elements: responsibility, accountability & loyalty; can and will yield the climate and construction of a system of leadership that teaches, trains and values others toward stronger leadership and maturation.

Alex Vann is the founder of Redwall Leadership Academy the training and development arm of his organization (Chick-fil-A) in Columbus, GA. He holds a Marketing/Communication degree from Mercer University and a Masters in Management & Leadership (M.A.M.L) from Liberty University.

Leaders must learn to let go.

Leaders that can’t let go block up and stop up the leadership growth curve of the organization, causing promising and potential developing leaders to abandon ship or fade away. A growing organization needs all its developing talented leaders and can’t afford miscalculated turnover. 

Letting Go sounds simple (actually sounds like a song from a children’s movie), but letting go is often one of the hardest lessons that leaders learn. Because, letting go involves determining (a) what to let go, (b) when to let go, (c) most importantly, who to let it go to.

Sometimes, letting go is not an option.  But, this is the exception rather than the rule. Letting go is also not about dropping it and neglecting it. Letting go is a fundamental rule in leadership that allows leaders to prioritize and place responsibilities, activities and actions within capable and developing subordinates for the maximum fluidity and productivity of the team, organization or group.

Some leaders, maybe you, just can’t let go. You know you need to, but somehow you just can’t take the plunge, make the move or cross the bridge. You are stuck holding on to things that you must let go. The thought of letting go creates both anxiety and excitement.

Let’s examine what happens when leaders can’t let go…

Leaders that can’t let go … limit their personal growth. Limit is the key word. There are some limits that are healthy for leaders. There are others that don’t need to exist, but due to fear, mistrust, anxiety, doubt, control or a million other reason spring into existence and stifle the leader’s ability to grow. A limitation is a restriction. Leaders that can’t let go haven’t learned how to properly delegate. Without the ability to work through others, the leader will remain close-fisted and close-fisted leaders are close-minded leaders. There is a risk in releasing real responsibility to others and to subordinates, but the greater danger is the restriction in the leader’s ability toward growth. When you are preoccupied with a thousand details you will float on the stagnant sea of self-exile and self-imposed neutrality. A car doesn’t move in neutral except with the grade of the ground, which means you are at the mercy of the ground, which usually results in sliding backwards or bumping into something. Both, are totally avoidable when leaders learn to change gears. Gear up and gear down for growth. The grade determines the gear.

Leaders that can’t let go … limit the development of others. You are not a leader unless you have followers. And if you have followers then you have influence. Leaders must reproduce other leaders. But, leaders that can’t let go, have GREAT difficulty actualizing development in their subordinates. This type of leader blames the follower or junior leader for their lack of growth, their lack of enthusiasm and their lack of development. Sometimes, truly, it is the fault of the subordinate, but often leaders that can’t let go don’t realize they have their subordinates in a choke hold–cutting of the vital air supply of life that is needed for growth. Leaders that can’t let go, don’t have time for their developing leaders. They simply have occupied their time with needless activities that will never help develop others.

Leaders that can’t let go … occupy their time with needless activities. Needless activity for a leader is described as any activity that someone else in the organization could do equally well or better than the leader. Leaders must use their most precious commodity–time in ways that only the leader can best execute. Too many leaders get lost in the minutia of the tasks. This often creates a log-jam in the organization. Or it creates a “pass-by” effect when subordinates continue to move forward beyond their leader. Insecure-can’t-let-go leaders view this with disdain because it threatens them. Leaders must learn to discern between the perceived threats and thrusts of their subordinates. Thrusts are often perceived as threats. Developing leaders want to advance–they want to grow, they want to move, they want to lead. These advances are often thrusts of leadership independence. Leaders that can’t let go view these thrusts as threats to their personal power, position or authority.

Leaders that can’t let go … create an atmosphere of impossible standards. Nothing is ever good enough for this leader. Those that follow will never fully be able to please or perform up to the leader’s standards or expectations. Setting goals and maintaining clear standards are imperative in any organization. However, leaders that can’t let go, hold their followers and subordinates hostage by the impossible expectation. They project an uncaring attitude and an unrealistic reality. This new reality is often unaware of by the leader,  but fully aware of with everyone else. Alternate realities in organizations are unseen divisions, distractions and destructions.

Leaders that can’t let go … are often demonstrating deep insecurity. Relationships are built on trust, so too are organizations. But, when a leader can’t let go, it is often because they don’t trust those around them to execute effectively. It is healthy for your subordinates to make mistakes. It is not healthy if your subordinates continue to make the same mistake! Just not mistakes that (a) cost a lot of money, (b) involve litigation or (c) endanger lives. Sometimes, the adversity that comes from an honest mistake is the greatest teacher. Obviously, we want to limit the kind of mistakes that carry great consequences. Don’t destroy the confidence of your followers if their mistakes don’t bring great harm or severe consequence. If they acted in good faith and honest intentions, then don’t execute them, rather exonerate them and do a better job of explanation. Insecurity is the culmination of fear. Fears are invisible walls constructed in your mind. The greater the insecurities the more the walls close in. When the walls close in your focus narrows, your trust decreases and your grip tightens.  When you become this leader, you merely need to look back at all the followers or developing leaders that quit following you–there will be bodies scattered along the way. Insecure leaders eject and reject those following them, secure leaders project their followers to greater heights and responsibilities.

Leaders that learn to let go find great peace in the passing-on, because this most often results in the building-up of others and the empowering of others. Your followers are waiting for you to “let it go”. Not only are they waiting…so to are the results!

Leaders that learn to let go become launching pads. Launching pads are places where others take off and reach new heights. A leader must create this mentality and this system in the organization to facilitate the growth and development of other leaders. Leaders that become launching pads are more concerned with the projection of the next generation of leaders than their own personal elevation.  Becoming a launching pad leader requires humility. Humility, because the leader must become lower so the developing leader can go higher.

Conversely, leaders that can’t learn to let go become lilly pads. Lilly pads are pretty to look at, but they can’t hold any weight. Try stepping on a lilly pad and all you will do is sink (unless you are a frog or a small bird and we’re building leaders not frogs!). Leaders that act as lilly pads only produce more lilly pads. Lilly pad leaders want to maintain the pinnacle position in the organization. Subsequently, they are more concerned with maintaining subordinates that secure their personal position. Lilly-pad-can’t-let-go leaders are more concerned with personal elevation

Learn to let go of the non-essentials. Learn to trust others with the essenstials.

Tweetable “Leaders that learn to let go become launching pads. Leaders that can’t learn to let go become lilly pads.”