By Kent Mulkey
The best leaders believe that most people wake up in the morning wanting to do their best, to give it their all during the day ahead.
But nobody succeeds on their own.
Take Travis Kelce. You know, Taylor Swift’s boyfriend who plays football for the Kansas City Chiefs. He is well-known in his own right as a future Hall of Fame player, and known in part for his off-the-field antics and playful nature. Travis would not be the success he is in football, even with his dedicated work ethic on the field, without the guidance and support of his coach, Andy Reid.
Experts call this the Pygmalion effect — believe someone will succeed, and support them in the process, and they are more likely to do so.
You may lead a team or an entire organization. Ask yourself, “Do I focus on people’s strengths and potential for success, or do I look primarily at their weaknesses?” Do you really believe that people come to work wanting to succeed? I do.
Very early in my career I had a desire to become the best communicator (public speaker) I could be. So, I took public speaking classes in college; attended a six-week, in-residence communication school; and looked for any and every opportunity to deliver presentations all over my town — civic clubs, college classrooms, churches, fraternities, you name it.
Now, am I a good communicator? Heck, I’ll leave that up to audiences to decide. What I know is that I had mentors who saw potential in me, coached me, and cheered me on for many, many years on the path toward success.
Who can you put on your radar in your organization who one day can replace you? Recently I completed a six-month consulting gig in another city. When the time came to fill my position permanently, it was easy for me to identify a person on the team who could do the job with excellence. She will one day soon get her chance to lead.
As a leader, the opportunity to build into the lives of younger and aspiring leaders is perhaps the greatest gift you have been given.
As Randall Stutman from Admired Leadership says it, become raving fans of your people. They will be forever grateful.
