Every once in a while, someone on your team does something that makes you look at them a little differently. Maybe they handle a situation you normally would have stepped into, and you realize they didn’t need you nearly as much as you thought they did.
I love those moments, because you can almost see the next version of that person starting to show up.
The funny thing is, they may not see it yet. They may still feel like they’re learning and figuring things out while you’re sitting there thinking, I think you’re ready for more.
Part of leading people well is paying attention to those moments. Not only to what someone is doing today, but to what may be developing in them.
Tell them what you see
You may assume people know when they’re doing well. They don’t always.
Someone may walk out of a meeting replaying the one sentence they wish they’d said differently while you’re thinking about how well they handled the whole thing. Tell them.
Pull them aside and say, “I noticed when you [name the specific thing they did]. That was really well done.”
That’s different from saying, “Great job.” You’re helping them understand what you’re seeing in them, and I don’t think we should underestimate what that can do for someone.
You can probably name a person who did that for you at some point. Someone saw an ability in you before you were completely confident in it yourself. They said something that made you think, Maybe I am good at this.
Those words can become the beginning of something.
Then give them somewhere to use it
Seeing potential in someone is great. But eventually, they need somewhere to grow into it.
This is where things can get uncomfortable, because giving someone a bigger opportunity usually means giving up a little control. You may know exactly how you would handle it, and there will be moments when watching someone else work through it takes longer than doing it yourself.
Do it anyway.
A few years ago, you probably weren’t as good at some of the things you do without thinking today. You got better because somebody gave you opportunities to practice when you were still learning.
The people on your team need that too.
Sometimes the right next step isn’t a promotion or a new title. It’s one opportunity that says, “I trust you with this.” And then you let them own enough of it for that trust to mean something.
Don’t expect them to become you
This may be the hardest part. When you see potential in someone, it’s easy to start teaching them how you would do everything.
There’s certainly a place for sharing what you’ve learned. That’s part of coaching someone well. But eventually, they have to find their own way of being good at the work.
They may run the meeting differently than you would. They may have a different way of connecting with a client. They may solve something in a way that never would have occurred to you.
Good.
You’re not trying to create another version of yourself. You’re trying to help someone become more of who they already are.
That means there will be moments when you have to decide whether something is truly wrong or simply different from the way you would have done it. Those are not the same thing.
Pause. Read that again!
And sometimes the moment you realize, Oh, they’ve got this, is the moment you stop looking for yourself in their work.
Pay attention to who is becoming more
When you’re running a business, it’s easy to stay focused on what needs your attention next. There’s always something.
But every so often, I want you to look up from the work and look at the people doing it.
Think about someone on your team today compared with who they were a year ago. Maybe there’s someone you trust now in a way you didn’t then.
Have you told them that?
Not in an annual review. Not because you’re about to hand them a new job description. Just because people deserve to know when someone sees them growing.
And then get curious about what might be next for them. You don’t need to have the whole path figured out. They may not either.
Start the conversation.
“I’ve been noticing something in you.”
See where it goes.
Because sometimes helping a good person grow into more begins with something that simple. You notice. You say it out loud. And when the opportunity comes, you trust them enough to let them try.
There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with leading people. But this is one of the really good parts.
You get a front-row seat to watching someone become more capable, more confident, and more themselves. And every once in a while, you get to be the person who saw it coming.
If there’s someone on your team you know is capable of more and you’re trying to figure out how to help them get there, I’d love to work through that with you. Sometimes your own leadership has to change a little as the people around you grow.
