Barack Obama once said:
Ask yourself – how can I make the people around me do great things?
Ultimately – that is one of the key roles of a leader. To develop your team so that they can do great things.
The flipside to this of course is that this means that if you do your job properly, your people will get better at things than you.
The very human reaction is to feel somewhat unsettled by this turn of events. On the one hand, that is of course what you want. On the other hand, where does that leave you?
As with all things that make you slightly squirmy inside, it’s good to face them front on.
Is there something your team member can teach you now?
After all leadership is not about having all the answers.
Can your team member become the expert within the team and provide guidance and learning to other team members?
If you can look at it not for how you perceive that it reflects on your own competence, but rather, what it means that your team can deliver for the organisation.
Ultimately, it means you’re doing your job – to develop your team, and build excellence for the organisation. No matter how disconcerting this may feel.
Stick with it.
Want more?
If you would like to discuss how I could help you build your team, get in touch.
And if you’re still hungry for more on being a great leader, you can find my leadership book here.
Until next week, happy leading.