How to Create a Legacy of Leaders in Your Business

Guiding team members is a fine balance between deciding what I am responsible for and figuring out what they are responsible for. Additionally, when I’m training company leaders, it’s important they understand what their responsibilities are and what my expectations of them are. I spend a lot of time helping, training, and developing leaders because my company will only be able to grow as big as the leadership team I develop. One of the major principles of our company is developing a legacy of leaders.

Two Leadership Types that Hinder the Balance

On the far end of the spectrum is the leader who takes all the credit when good things happen, but often blames others and fails to take responsibility for his/her own mistakes or those of the department(s) he is responsible for. This doesn’t necessarily mean the person is a bad leader, it typically means the person lacks self-confidence. When this happens, it’s important you take the time to coach the leader. A great leader owns up to mistakes in their department, even if they were not the ones directly responsible for the mistakes happening. A great leader also shares praise, often stepping completely out of the limelight, when successes are rewarded and recognized.

At the other end of the spectrum is the person who thinks everything is their responsibility. These leaders tend to micromanage because they want to make sure everything is done their way. They often try to take on responsibilities outside of their department or pick up roles from others based on their desire to make sure things are done. This leader also needs coaching because their over-assertiveness can hinder the productivity of their team, bring other leaders down, and lead to burnout.

In between, there are the amazing leaders who manage to balance both sides of the spectrum well. They are good at delegating tasks to the team members they are helping to grow because they recognize that by sharing responsibility, they also help develop the leaders under them. They are also good at taking responsibility when things go wrong and doling out praise to their team when things go right. These are the superstar leaders in any company, and it is the type of leader I strive to develop within my companies.

The Leadership Responsibility of the Owner

As the business owner, my responsibility is to provide the skills, tools, and coaching needed so that others can take complete responsibility for themselves and their departments. This can best be done through coaching beliefs, not behaviors, which I will address in a future article. I also believe it’s my responsibility to take 100% responsibility for all actions that take place in my company, to delegate properly, and to carry out the promises I make to my team members.

I hope you find this helpful in building your own legacy of leaders.

Living Every Minute,

Dr. Tim