One misconception about building a business is that YOU have to build it. While you certainly need to build your business, to scale it you must also build people into leaders. Then those people can build your business.
This is why many CEOs are inspirational and are good public speakers. They understand the value of building people and their ability to grow your company. Building these leaders will help you to build a scalable acorn business, rather than a quick sunflower business. But how do you build these leaders?
Why Do You Need to Multiply Leaders?
The first part of building leaders is understanding why you need to multiply and build leaders within your organisation. A common misconception is that all leaders are the same, that they need to be visual and take on high positions. However, leading yourself is a skill in itself, and has many leaders who can lead and drive themselves is invaluable to your business.
While you may be great at some things, you are probably not so great at others. Empowering people to take those tasks off your plate allows you to focus on what you are good at, or even step back from the business. To do this you need strong leaders you can rely on. You need to build and multiply these leaders.
Build Bomb Squad
The Springboks bench has changed the way many teams viewed the game of rugby. In the past, the bench was predominantly to replenish tired/ injured players and to keep up the momentum. For the Springboks, they use the bench as a strategic asset.
They fill the bench with players who have specific skills and abilities that are handy in specific situations. This could be players with more speed for a quick offense or more strength to win a scrum. These players are brought onto and off the field as needed to fulfil their duty in this bench team often referred to as the ‘bomb squad’.
You need to build a bomb squad in your business, a team of individuals who can lead in very specific situations and allowing you to be prepared for anything.
How to Multiply Leaders?
So now that we know why and what, the last question is how. How do you build this bomb squad? How do you multiply leaders in your company?
It all comes down to communication and trust. You need to take the time to meet with and train your team. Get to know them, their dreams, and their aspirations as this will help you to identify their specific leadership capabilities.
You also need to focus on regular feedback within the company and within teams. These sessions can help teams grow through constructive criticism within a controlled environment.
Before all of this though, you need to start at recruiting. Bringing on good people is a great start to building exceptional leaders. Have a recruiting process that gets to know your applicants. This helps you to identify potential leaders as they join your company, allowing you to empower their growth right from the start.
Lastly, you need to take a chance. The best way to see if someone can rise to the challenge and helping them learn is through doing. Empowering team members to take lead on specific projects or sections allows you to see their leadership skills in action, as well as identifying areas of growth and training. Take a chance on your team and you will find more leaders emerging.
