Leadership Essential: Leaders Must Teach
As a leader, teaching what you know to others — replacing yourself, so you can move on to what’s next — isn’t new. No matter where you are in your life, if you are growing, you’ve got to teach everything you know in order to make room for even greater growth. Yet, at this moment the need is more poignant than ever.
As many people continue to be unsure of what lies ahead, the best way to navigate any uncertainty is to teach what you know – replace yourself everywhere you can – which will make room for you to grow and evolve with the changing times.
Think of it this way: If you are the one doing all of the thinking, doing, and worrying, how are you ever going to have time to put your greater vision into action — or, for that matter, even create a vision for what you want in the future? If you want to not just survive, but thrive, AND be ready for the growth and opportunity that does exist, you’ve got to build your team, you’ve got to teach what you know, you’ve got to willingly step out and be outrageous, you’ve got to replace you… you’ve got to be looking for what you don’t know!
Consider this:
How much easier would your day go if you took the time to teach your team what they need to know on your behalf?
A few weeks or months down the road, how much more time might you have to improve/grow your business?
How much more opportunity might you have to give yourself some well-deserved time off?
How much more time and energy might you have to be with those you love?
Teaching your team — growing your team into outstanding leaders themselves — is necessary for you to ride the waves of change, and it is simpler than most people think.
Give up the idea that making the effort to teach others takes too much time!
Give up the notion that no one can be taught to do something as well as you can do it.
Have a plan that specifies who you are going to teach “what, why, and by-when”.
Enroll your team members into your plan; explain to each person their role in the plan and why they have been selected to be part of it.
Be the question, instead of the answer. We all learn best those things we understand, think through, and then do ourselves. So, when a team member comes to you with a question, ask them what they think; ask what they would do if you weren’t there.
Follow your plan for teaching and have FUN!
More time, freedom, business, or whatever you want, is just around the corner. All you have to do is teach what you know.
What do you have to lose? If you replied, “A lot,” go on to ask yourself, “But, what do I have to gain?”