PEOPLE…are a LEADER’S most valuable resource.
This is a variation of another great piece of advice that comes from more than one wise source:
All other resources can and must be managed…but PEOPLE must be LED.
It’s a reminder of the difference between a THING and a PERSON.
I often state the principle in my management training seminars and ask for a show of hands of anyone who agrees with the principle. The hand-raising always shows UNANIMOUS agreement. I then typically follow up with another question:
Do you know WHY people are your most valuable resource???
NOBODY EVER RAISES THEIR HAND!
So…allow me to explain exactly WHY people are your most valuable resource, as a leader…
Every OTHER resource you manage is finite and has built-in limitations!
- Show me your BUDGET, and I’ll tell you exactly how long the money will last until it runs out.
- Show me your FACILITIES, and I’ll tell you exactly how much stuff and how many people you can cram into it.
- Show me your MATERIEL, and I’ll tell you exactly when you’ll run out of supplies, and when your equipment will wear out or become obsolete.
But NO ONE…and I mean NO ONE…has EVER BEEN ABLE TO MEASURE the potential of even ONE HUMAN BEING.
You don’t even know what YOUR potential is!
I can say that, because I’m still learning and experiencing what MY potential is!
Here’s the TRUTH: HUMAN BEINGS possess INCALCULABLE POTENTIAL.
That’s why your job as a leader is to encourage, guide, support, and MODEL the continuing growth and development of your people!
Here are the important questions for you to consider, as a leader:
- How are you continuing to grow and develop in your role and responsibilities?
- When are you having conversations with your people about THEIR growth and development?
- What resources and opportunities are you providing, for the growth and development of your people?
- What incentives are you providing, to encourage your people to focus on their growth and development?
- How are you recognizing the growth and development of your people, and making their progress visible to the rest of your team, and to higher-ups?
Up Close and Personal
One of my favorite leaders (and friends) is Tony Knight—an individual with a unique talent for effective management and leadership. He accepted a position as a team leader for an Accenture project that provided a call center for a major corporate client. One of his first acts was to meet with each of his team members in one-on-one sessions. One of his questions in those meetings was, “Where do you want to go in your career?” For each person, he offered suggestions about resources they might consider using as part of their personal and professional development: e.g. a book they might find helpful; an evening class at the local community college that would add to their professional skills; or one of the many free online courses available to them as an employee of the company. In their regular monthly one-on-one sessions that followed, he would keep the conversation going, asking them about what they read; what courses they took; what learning they accessed online. Over time, it was obvious to his team members that he cared about them and was invested in their future. It was one of many reasons why his team was highly engaged, high-performing, and extremely loyal.
Successful GE CEO Jack Welch offered this opinion on the subject:
Great leaders love to see people grow. The day you are afraid of them being better than you is the day you fail as a leader.
Another piece of advice I give to aspiring managers is closely related…
Be the kind of manager that helps your people get promoted.
This might seem a bit counter-intuitive.
One might think that a team leader would naturally resist constantly losing their best people—always having to deal with the challenge of leadership succession on their team. Why would they invite this difficulty by purposefully moving their best people up and out of their team?
What possible benefits would you gain by doing this???
Leaders with experience know the answer to this question!
1. The word spreads quickly and widely in any organization: If you have any kind of potential, get on this manager’s team—they will help you get promoted!
These leaders get the best people knocking on their door, eager to join their team and give their best effort! They don’t have to spend a lot of time looking for good people for their teams—the people find THEM.
2. Their team members are highly engaged, highly motivated, and highly effective. They know that their hard work has a much better chance of being rewarded, by working with a leader who is invested in their advancement.
3. They create a team culture of high performance that motivates team members to do their best work. This happens because their team members work with fellow team members who are just like them—highly engaged, hard-working people—who inspire and encourage one another.
4. They also experience a highly loyal workforce—subordinates who are much more likely to support their decisions; their strategies; their assignments; their leadership.
5. For all these reasons, team leaders like this gain a high-performing team that supports their success in their position in the organization. This, in turn, often leads to the advancement of the team leader/manager. Also…
6. Beyond the obvious personal advantages to the manager, there are political benefits to the team leader and the team: valuable visibility with key leaders at higher levels; greater consideration for increasing the team’s budget; better chances for gaining additional personnel. Executives love success, and so they are more likely to support a successful manager by giving them more resources and expanded opportunities.
If you are looking for ways to become a better team leader, we can help! We have experience working with teams and team leaders, helping them to work together more effectively. And we can help you and your team do the same. Give us a call, and start your journey of leadership growth today!
Until next time… Yours for better leaders and better organizations,
Dr. Jim Dyke – “The Boss Doctor” ™ helping you to BE a better boss and to HAVE a better boss!
