There are a few weeks each fall when I arrive home from work to a huge celebration. I’m greeted by a majestic bloom of confetti-like red leaves tossed high into the late afternoon sky by our row of Autumn Blaze Maple trees. Our driveway is the parade route and I’m the grand marshal. The breath-stealing beauty makes me forget, at least momentarily, that someone has to rake up that “confetti” on the weekends.
Those five young maples took the place of twenty-one invasive, root-spreading, water-stealing, bug-invested Poplar trees. The seedlings were immature and looked awkward in the space previously occupied by the towering Poplar trees. But we didn’t plant them for what they were; we planted them with a vision of what they could become.
The trees initially required a fair measure of protection and care. We tethered each sapling with a rubber chain to a pair of large poles. The stakes were a safeguard, preventing the trees from leaning or falling until they grew stronger. The maples needed time to adjust to their new home. We soaked them deeply, setting a hose on a timer and checking soil moisture every few days. Autumn arrived, and within 15 minutes the initial “leaf-blowing season” was over. But the saplings were healthy and thriving, and longer blowing days were ahead.
Two seasons passed, and we watered much less. I looked across the lawn and noticed that the trees were pulling the stakes upward, the rubber chains stretched to their limit. I released the ties. It was time for the trees to stand on their own.
I reflected on how this relates to leadership, and the opportunities leaders have to help those that follow them:
1. See what people can become
Sometimes people appear scrawny compared to more mature versions. This will be obvious when a leader puts them in positions they are not fully ready to fill. Growth-minded leadership requires patience. We are all works-in-progress..
2. Protect them from significant harm
Leaders understand a less-experienced follower cannot withstand the same turbulence as someone more senior. Effective leaders provide a tether that allows change, but shields followers from critical harm.
3. Provide them what they need to succeed
Growth-minded leaders support others’ development. It’s a leader’s duty to determine what each member needs. It might be responsibility, or information, or encouragement, or something else. (Maybe it’s a life preserver for a difficult season.) Effective leaders take the time to understand, and then provide, what is beneficial for growth.
4. Release control over time
As followers mature, a leader should focus more on outcomes and less on reviewing methodologies and details. The restrictions necessary in the beginning can be what is harming them now.
5. Celebrate when the vision becomes reality
A good leader does not miss the opportunity to celebrate when a team member does something great. A poor leader feels threatened by it. In a celebration parade the confetti falls on everyone, not just the grand marshal. Leaders should stuff their pockets with streamers, always available for throwing whenever growth happens.
You Got This!
Take a moment to consider the investments others have made in your life. Write them down.
Take inventory of your team and consider the next step for each, and how you can contribute to their success.
A growing leader learns to grow leaders. Find steps to take over the next 30 days to make your vision for your team a reality.
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