You are not a leader if you aren’t developing others. 

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

~Harvey Firestone 

Leadership is about development: both self and others. You can’t remain the same and still develop better people. Better people come from a better you.  People are like gardens, they need development–they need a gardener. I’ve changed my title to “People Developer.” This is my daily reminder and my public accountability that as the chief leader in my organization that one of the most critical roles I serve the people in my organization is to see myself as a developer and to facilitate opportunities for development.

Promote Growth & Develop Maturity

To develop simply means “to promote growth” or “encourage maturity.” There are many leaders who are hindering growth and discouraging maturity both their own and others. No one ever develops simply by showing up. Development takes intentionality, instruction and care. Even if you are not the primary leader in your organization, find someone to develop, someone to pour into–to promote growth and encourage maturity.

Becoming a Ruler instead of a Developer

If you are in a leadership position but not developing anyone else, then all you are is a ruler. The world has been full of rulers and is full of rulers. They look like leaders, but they aren’t. They rule others when they should be reaching out to others. To rule means “to exercise control over.” Rulers are more about control and dominion they are about construction and development. They seclude themselves when they should show themselves. They feel important instead of making others feel important. Rulers see themselves above those they lead, instead of seeing themselves beneath them.

A ruler, pure and simple, means you have the responsibility of the position and the authority it offers, but if you aren’t reaching back, with significant effort to see that you are personally engaging and facilitating development opportunities in the next generation of potential leaders. 

Rulers have subjects. Leaders have followers.

Most of modern leadership is simply rulership. A ruler has subjects. A subject is a person who is ruled by another. If you show up and just rule people, you will never produce anything but more jaded rulers that come after you. You will not create anything anyone wants to emulate. You will only create something that another will want to annihilate. Leadership is a practice of serving others in a manner that is emulated by those that follow you. Rulers are filled with fear. Leaders filled with faith. Rulers have subjects. Leaders have followers. Subjects serve you. Followers are served by you.

A ruler is a leader without a legacy. 

The only way to truly have a legacy is to pass on and pour into the generation that comes behind you and will go beyond you. This does not mean that they will be more or less successful than you. It simply means that you are personally seeing to it the the next group of future leaders has been prepared for their time, for their season. You are preparing them for or presenting them with an opportunity. The greatest legacy you can ever leave is to fully impact the lives of those that follow behind you.

Life is a series of taking turns. Leadership is preparing others for their turn.

Jesus prepared his followers for their turn. He spent an inordinate amount of time with them in close proximity sharpening them, encouraging and developing them. He walked with them, talked with them and ate with them. Leaders must spend quantities of quality time with those they will develop. A random meeting sporadically isn’t a pattern of effective development. Development is a series of observations and interactions that are intentional and frequent.

How effective are you at preparing those who come behind you?

The way to be truly effective is to keep one eye on the clock and one eye on the crop. You will not lead or last forever. This means you have one eye on the clock. But neither will you always have access to all the resources you have currently, this is one eye on the crop.

You can’t develop others without stepping out of the way. This does not mean you abdicate your authority, but rather release some of your authority. Authority like cheese is best served in slices. Eating a whole block of cheese isn’t good for anyone! 

The Lesson of the Bucket and the Cup 

I spend the majority of my time thinking about the development of those I’ve been entrusted with. They are not “my people,” they don’t belong to me. I am simply a steward. This means that some people are impossible for me to develop. I want those entrusted to me to achieve greater and better than me. My true success is in the production of their lives. Leaders are more concerned with the production of another’s life than being recognized for their own.  This is stewardship. And as a steward, it is my responsibility to draw the best out of them and prepare them best that I can.

Authority is like a bucket of water. I have the bucket and they (those I am developing) have the cup (God has the river). If they aren’t willing to receive what I am pouring into their cup, then they are unwilling to be developed by me. If they want a bucket before they learn how to hold and handle a cup, then they don’t get my bucket. Teach others how to hold and handle a cup (small amounts) before they get the bucket (large amounts).  The reason you get a cup before a bucket is that we spill water. When we spill we waste. Spilling from a cup wastes far less than spilling from a bucket. Cup before bucket.

Leadership develops Friendship

Jesus said, “As you are going, make disciples (learners).”  Your job as a leader is not to make a kingdom, a cult or a cast of characters, but a learner. The only way to make learners is to share your learning.

The most effective way to make a disciple or develop a future leader is to (a) teach them what you know and (b) give them an opportunity to demonstrate it. This can only happen as you take them into your confidence. They can’t handle hearing everything, but they need something. 

I regularly take my leaders into a closed door room and share my heart, my frustrations or my joys. Then, I get their feedback. I let them hear how I arrived at decisions. I ask them how they feel about things, then I tell them how I feel. See, I’m not only trying to develop others, but becoming friends. I’m allowing them into my heart and my mind. This is transparency. Rulers have friends by right. Leaders have friends by relationship. Some of the greatest joys of my entire life have been those that have worked for me to really work with me as friends and peers. This is the model that Jesus set:

“No longer do I call you servants [subjects], for the servant [subject] does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” 

~Jesus 

You are not a leader if you aren’t developing others. 

(C) Alex Vann, 2018