Helping Others Succeed is Part of Leading

Helping others succeed is an integral part of leading. Without it, you ultimately don’t succeed. Supporting individuals comes in many forms. An important one is helping them advance in their careers. Some people are very motivated in their advancement, while others are not.

Use these suggestions in helping others succeed as part of leading and your success:

• During your one-on-ones ask questions about what they see themselves doing in the next 6 months to 2 years. Some will have very clear ideas of what that is, others will require more questions to help them figure that out.
• Invest in their development. Invest money, time, resources in helping them reach that goal, and be successful in the long-term.
• Find projects that will stretch their abilities. Make sure it isn’t an over-reach and you set them up to fail.
• Help them find a mentor that will work and encourage them along their path towards their career goal.
• Provide transparent feedback, encouragement, and support. Let them know you believe in them and their success.

As you are helping your team members succeed, don’t forget to think about your own advancement. Yours is just as critical as theirs. Important you follow these guidelines as well. Figure out where you want to be in the next 6 months to 2 years. Think about succession planning and what that will look like. Identify that person on your team that has the potential and desire to take your place. Work with them over time to help them learn the skills to eventually take over your role when you move onto your next opportunity.

Helping others succeed is part of leading. It can actually be one of the most rewarding parts of leading. When people know you are interested in their success, they show up in a more engaged way in their day-to-day work which ultimately comes back to your success as a leader. Dive in. This is the fun part of leadership.

Please share how you help your team members succeed in the comments below.

If you would like help tweaking how you show up as a leader, please reach out!