All you young managers, consider this observation. You will become inspirational leaders. Inspirational leaders can see potential in others and they place their bright, innovative, and even shy team members at the top, where they will legitimately and ultimately belong. You will see and want to advance high potential team members to activate and polish their potential. You already give them challenging projects and leadership roles. Roles that fit their talent and brilliance.
Yet, some slide right back into their lesser roles as team contributors rather than as leaders. You uplift them again and remind them that they are now leaders and not just contributors. Again they slide back. This is when you can separate yourself from other managers who will give up on the potential leaders, in whom you initially saw potential. Don’t give up on them. Invest, instead.
First, revisit your original reason and observation why you saw potential in them.
Second, remind them of their capabilities and test their desire to advance.
Third, convey why you believe they can lead and grow and are ready to advance their learning mission and also how that fits in the team and company mission.
Forth, share stories. Share your own stories. Show them the rungs of the ladders that you took. Tell them stories of your mentors. Give them examples they can relate to. The purpose is to convince them that they belong at the top, where you placed them.
Fifth, be a patient coach and mentor. Play the role that you need to, to nurture, encourage, and inspire. Listen and observe. Reinforce the goodness and offer more stories. In time, your team associates will come to see their own strengths. The light bulb will come on. They will start building their own ladders for progress.
You will have inspired and been a ladder for a young and ambitious brilliant team member. Do this consistently and pretty soon you will have a set of loyal friends and associates across the globe. On your teams and others, in your company and others, and in your geography and others.
You will share one common ground for celebration. Your brilliance to spot the genius and their faith to trust you in taking on new opportunities. Live inspired lives by uplifting those whose talents you can make into spectacular growth achievements.
Want you find your own path? If this resonated with you, you can learn and grow more with me.
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