We can’t underestimate the value of continuously investing in our team’s growth, both as individuals and as a whole. The seeds we plant early, and nurture as they grow, become well-prepared, more self-sufficient team members, ready to tackle the challenges ahead of them.
What does investing in your team’s growth actually look like?
It’s facilitative, meaning we coach, we guide, and we lead by example, helping the team find their way. What does that mean in practice?
- Where’s the team going to need support before they ask for it
- Where’s the partnership we predict we’ll need, not just be available for
- Where’s the space we can make for the team to find their own answer
- Where’s the growth we can encourage to happen without us stepping on toes
As a leader, considering these questions, and there’s certainly more than just these four, will influence how we guide our team. Our time nurturing the team works best when we keep it small, simple, and continuous (keep it natural).
Are we continuously engaged after we’ve planted our seeds?
Foresight is a great trait, but it’s just the start of the journey. We need to keep our eyes open and re-ask ourselves if we’ve done the right thing:
- Have we noticed where the gaps are before they slow the team down
- Have we prepared the team for what’s coming, or are we only reacting once it’s here
- Have I invested enough time so far, and am I committed to staying present
The more we plant and keep tending now, the stronger and more self-sufficient our team grows, needing less hand-holding as they mature. We’re still there, fortifying what we already nurtured, ready to reinforce it further as new challenges come.
Time, experience, guidance, encouragement, motivation, a shoulder to lean on when it’s needed….. none of it shows up the day it’s needed if we haven’t been planting, and tending, all along.
We do our best for the team so they can be their best. Then we all grow and succeed together, and that’s more than our title ever could….. it’s the leadership that actually lasts.