Every leader wants to grow in positive influence and impact for God’s honor. How can you continue to expand your potential as a leader? Here is Ron Edmondson with some answers to that all-important question.
Originally posted by Ron Edmondson
I think the best leaders expand their influence and leadership potential by continuing to learn and grow in experience. It takes an intentional effort to improve as a leader. You can read books, follow blogs and Tweets, attend conferences, and hang out with other leaders. These are all good practices to improve as a leader.
In my experience, however, my leadership influence grows the fastest when it grows through the people I’m supposed to be leading. Let me explain.
Here are 5 ways I expand my leadership potential?
1. INVEST IN OTHER PEOPLE.
It’s amazing, but when I invest in others, they invest in me. I have had several mentoring groups or relationships — where I am supposed to be the mentor, but I feel I learned as much as they did.
2. ALLOW SOMEONE YOU LEAD TO LEAD.
When I get out of the way of my team amazing things happen. Now, first, I surround myself with people smarter than me about their area of expertise, but they make my leadership better. I may even get credit for the overall success of the team — but I’m quick to admit — I couldn’t have done it without them.
3. PROMOTE SOMEONE ELSE’S AGENDA.
I’ve learned people have better ideas than me. A lot better ideas. Actually, I’m an idea guy. I have lots of them. But, if the team is bigger than one — there’s always one more idea to consider. I’m a better leader — with more potential — when I open the idea generation task to more people than me.
4. CELEBRATE A TEAM MEMBER’S SUCCESS.
When I hog the stage — or the recognition — I limit other people’s willingness to contribute to the success of our team. When I share the lime-light I expand my own capacity as a leader — and everyone wins.
5. INVITE OTHER PEOPLE’S OPINIONS.
One of the most dangerous things I’ve seen a leader do is to build an atmosphere of elitism, where no one else is welcome at the table of decision-making. When a leader values a range of thoughts and opinions it makes people feel valued and expands the leadership base of the senior leader and the entire team.
The best leaders I know understand that when the people they lead are growing in their leadership, it spills over into their personal leadership potential.
As a team improves, so improves the leader.
When others who are following a leader grow in their leadership capacity and influence, the senior leader’s capacity and influence increases. It truly is one of the win/win scenarios of leadership.
Invest in others and watch your leadership potential expand.
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