Great leaders create great leaders Its not coincidental, its part of the job

Great leaders create great leaders Its bedrngnis coincidental, its part of the jobGreat leaders create great leaders Its not coincidental, its part of the jobYou cant judge a great leader by their salary, or how many years of experience they have under their belt - thats only part of the picture and not even a telling one at that. If you want to identify a great leader, look no farther than their team.Assuming the responsibility of developing internal talent is what typifies the bad from the good the good from the great. All leaders understand the importance of attracting top talent, but what you do with that talent once theyre officially on your companys payroll is what truly matters.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreAre employees being nurtured into leadership positions? Or, for those not interested in titled positions per se, are they being hilfestellunged in forging their own path within the company? If not, thats troubling, for both the workplace and its leaders.Leadership isnt just a titleAcquiring and retaining top talent is not just good for morale and for the companys bottom line, it should be enmeshed in the geschftlicher umgang strategy. This is where leaders often run into problems. They believe that employee happiness - and, therefore, retention - is tied into gimmicky perks like company-wide happy hours or free office snacks, but its not. Employees want job security, health insurance, and unlimited vacation. Additionally, they want professional development, and this progress is your responsibility.Leaders who dont see the value in meaningful growth dont run people-first companies. They see their title as a status symbol and turn their focus inwards, rather than viewing their role as an ongoing responsibility to their team. When this happens, employees become stepping stones to notoriety when they should, in fact, be part of the success.Mike Myatt, the author of Leadership Matters, says that entrepreneurs shouldnt be in the business of creating followers, but of developing leaders. It should always be people over process because, when its not, well continue to find ourselves in a crisis of leadership.How you approach this development is entirely up to you. Praise your employees achievements individually and office-wide, offer generous perks like flexible schedules, or, like Richard Branson, just simply show your employees youre listening to them by writing their feedback down. These may sound inconsequential, but the impact they have is powerful - Branson even credits a people-first approach to his billion-dollar career.When people come first, so should cultureEmployees, not customers, should come first. This may sound backward to some leaders, but the way you treat your team directly impacts the customer experience. When you put them first, theyll be happier and more engaged, which translates into more satisfied (and loyal) clients.Whether youre a startup or accomplished entrepreneur, I believe that its always a good idea to begin the way you mean to go on. What I mean by this is that you should work out the nuances of your company culture from the very beginning - as early on as when youre deciding on your company name and brand. The emphasis on culture should be built into your values, your mission, your everything.Part of developing your talent is realizing that leadership isnt a hierarchy. Yes, roles and responsibilities vary, but important decisions dont just happen at the top. Encourage employees to take ownership of the company, and support them in doing it. This means developing managers and seniors, but also developing leaders who dont necessarily hold traditional leadership titles - taking the lead on a project counts as leadership, too.A culture of leadership is collaborative and open, where involvement drips down to even the lowest positions within the company.Support progress and gritCreating great leaders takes more than just vision, it also requires actionable steps. You can build it into your values and company culture, but that means nothing without training, internal and external development opportunities, and your guidance. Passive leaders dont create great leaders. Hold your employees accountable in meeting your high standards by challenging them to push themselves.Yet, it cant just stop there, you must also support their progress. Being a great leader means being tough, but protective. Sarah Robb OHagan, the author of Extreme You, says that leaders must push hard, but support harder. And as employees begin to take ownership of their talents under your guidance, its important that you also recognize when its time to step aside and nurture more independence from them.Gradually, they will gain more confidence and, once they know they have your trust, can begin taking on more leadership responsibilities. They should believe, not just hear, that they are experts in their role.Be transparent about your own developmentWhen you model great leadership, you can expect your team to do the same - even though it should go without saying that everyone will come into their own leadership styles, and thats okay. But in being a role model, however, we must remember that its not demonstrating that were experts because were the best. Instead, its about showing employees that even we are still learning.Powerful leaders arent esteemed by a know-it-all attitude. Rather, a powerful leader is one who admits they are still learning every single day. Be transparent about your own development as you discuss goals and growth with your employees. Leadership is never something you can get and then thats it - its a practice you will continuously adapt and evolve.Unsurprisingly, when were focused on the development of our employees, it will, in turn, strengthen our own leadership approach.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people