5 Benefits of Effectively Developing Your Team
What is the top responsibility of every leader? I hope one of the first answers that come to mind would be developing others into strong leaders. Arguably, developing others is the most important thing every leader tasks themselves with each day.
Taking the time to coach and grow those around you is an investment and a labor of love. There will always be challenges and obstacles that both you and the team will face as learning occurs. We have talked about some steps in developing others previously, but there are also many terrific benefits that come from making this time commitment. Here are five of the most common positive outcomes that come from it.
Increased engagement
When you invest in people, they will invest themselves in you. Almost any survey you review will show that associates at all levels have the desire to learn more, be better prepared, and have the opportunity for personal and career growth. When you provide those growth options through coaching and individual development, they will reward you for your efforts. Consistently providing that path to better selves will lead to loyalty, meaning that investment goes that much further.
Improved productivity
Helping people achieve their best possible selves means they are giving more each day in their current role. The first item discussed was engagement, which becomes the multiplier for almost everything else, especially productivity. Engaged team members are associates that are willing to do more in the best possible way. This is productivity at its finest.
Allows for better delegation
As you develop those around you, their new skills can ensure that you keep the right things on your plate as a leader. When done right, development and delegation form a symbiotic relationship – delegation, done well, leads to developmental opportunities. When you have multiple people on your team that can perform many levels of tasks, your options expand for what you can take on.
Creates sense of community
Imagine your entire team learning and growing both as individuals as well as teammates. They know that you are trying to work with each of them as individuals. Collectively, they feel part of something bigger. People sense when their leader is different from others, which creates a bond between them. This bond opens up new lines of communication. They feel more connected to one another as well as you and the Company. Once again, this feeds into the pieces above, especially engagement, and builds a strong cycle of connectedness.
Pride
I can think of nothing greater in my professional career than seeing people that have worked for me in the past succeeding and moving into higher-level positions. Knowing that I had a small role in their development fills me with pride in watching them achieve their goals and take on new responsibilities. I believe pride is the true feeling of leadership.
These five benefits only scratch the surface when thinking about the power of people development. When people ask me about the role of leaders today, I always start with one statement: a leader’s role, first, and perhaps foremost, is to develop other strong leaders. Play that role and watch amazing things happen, and you, too, will understand that feeling of effective leadership.
What are you doing today to help develop your team into strong leaders for the future? Share your ideas and stories in the comments section.
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