“If you are planning for a year, sow rice. If you are planning for a decade plant trees. If you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.”

Chinese Proverb

Developing leaders and managers takes time. There is no fast track, there are “no two ways around it”, it just takes time to develop good managers and leaders.

“While great leaders may be as rare as great runners, great actors, or great painters, everyone has leadership potential, just as everyone has some ability at running, acting, and painting.” –

Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus

To develop leaders and managers, it takes the following:

• Ability to see raw talent and drive within the individual
• The clarity to know the words they describe for themselves as a leader will take time for them to grow into
• The wisdom to trust time, experiences, learning, and mistakes to take place so others can grow and develop
• The insight to withhold judgement, temper, impatience, and frustration as others grow and development
• The fortitude to understand that growth and development requires clear expectations, strong values, and consistent feedback both positive and developmental on how they are doing in their growth and development
• The humbleness to know when you are doing your best when you and the other are struggling in getting to the next stage of growth
• The truth to see that “you cannot want it more than they do”
• “To stick” when others would tell you not to, and to adapt when it becomes clear it could be too much to soon for them to handle
• Patience to allow people to develop and gain the personal insight they need to become strong independent learners and effective leaders

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

If you are responsible for developing leaders and managers, be the kind of mentor to put them in situations to grow new skills that meet the needs of the people, the situation and expectations. Be the sounding board to learn how to make effective decisions in new and challenging situations. Remember open ended questions are your ally and will develop them faster. It takes courage, patience, belief, wisdom and foresight to develop leaders.

“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”

Stephen King

Invest in the future,

Bobbie Goheen