If asked, I suspect most business leaders would agree that a critical function of their role is to teach. The real question is: how much time and effort do we really devote to the development of our people? It is far too easy to push off our coaching responsibilities when the crisis of the moment asks for our attention instead. If you are serious about building your organization’s team, you’ll need to flex your discipline muscles. Effective leaders take care to prioritize their role as teachers.
Many of us have had the good fortune of having coaches and mentors who have contributed to our personal and professional growth. Having spent about half of my work life in retail stores, I have had plenty of opportunities to coach and teach. Staff, especially those early on in their career journeys, were always interested in learning and I loved the opportunity to help them grow. Plus, time spent inside the stores gave us the opportunity to learn alongside each other as we heard directly from the salespeople on the ground.
I remember when a tough old store manager named Vic Grosso taught me a lesson early in my career – one that I now recognize as having been essential to my success. In my role at a New Jersey-based discount store, I was lax in my delegation practices – until Vic set me straight. He told me to think of myself as an orchestra leader, coordinating a group of musicians to play a good tune. He pointed out that orchestra leaders seldom actually play an instrument themselves. So, it was my mission to get all my employees to work together to complete the task and I was best to stay out of their way while they did it. This lesson put me on the path to becoming a solid delegator, and I’ve been a better leader for it.
Several other mentors along the way have been good teachers and set the tone for me to become an enthusiastic coach. Their commitment to whole-team development set an example I wanted to follow. It may be difficult to set aside the time to help others, but those of us in leadership roles have a moral obligation to do all we can to train and develop those coming up the ladder behind us. Plus, it is so rewarding to see the younger folks develop their leadership skills.
Take a few minutes to reflect on the people who have done the most to help you develop your professional skills, then ask yourself if you are doing as much for the people who look up to you today. We should all take great pride in our efforts to support our team. As I look back on my career, I am proudest of my contributions to the growth of those around me.
published Nashville Business Journal
