This year we’re taking time to really focus on leadership in both business and life. One thing I’m passionate about is making sure that we all do our part to raise up the next group of leaders. Recently I read this article by John Maxwell about leadership development and thought we could talk about his 3 points today. John says that there are 3 main ways to influence or impact leaders: environment, equipping and exposure. What does this mean for you, and what role do you have in developing leaders?
1-you are responsible to develop leaders, no matter who you are or what business you’re in. A blog is just one easy way for any industry to help teach and train the next generation, as well as build exposure-you don’t have to teach a class or train your successor to develop a leader. And you don’t have to be in business to have a blog and help the next generation become leaders-anyone can do it.
2-your environment not only impacts the people you work with or train, it also impacts you. If you’ve got an environment in your business that encourages growth, learning and improvement, you’re going in the right direction.
3-being equipped with technology, tools, and education isn’t just about helping create leaders, it’s about running a good business. If you’re without the technology, tools and education, you’re potentially missing out on impacting your clients in a big way.
4-exposure is just the starting point. What business doesn’t want to be exposed to more clients? But not all businesses want to be exposed to new and sometimes challenging things and ideas-yet it’s what helps us be clear about who we are and what we do.
All that said, most businesses and people should be actively pursuing leadership development. We’ve got a ton of problems in the world right now, and they won’t all be fixed in your or my lifetime, which is why it’s essential to start training the next generation to be the leaders we need. What do you do to help raise up the next generation of thinkers and leaders?