A leadership expert who conducted a poll to find out how people came to be leaders writes: ‘I asked if they became leaders because a) they were given a position; b) there was a crisis in the organisation; or c) they had been mentored. More than 80 per cent indicated that they were leaders because someone had mentored them in leadership – had taken them through the process…As leaders, if we feel any uncertainty or insecurity about the leadership development process, it is usually not related to the training we give. The uncertainty we feel comes when we contemplate releasing our leaders to lead. It is not dissimilar to what parents feel with their kids. My children are grown and have families of their own, but when they were teenagers, the hardest thing for my wife and me was releasing them to go their own way and make their own decisions. It is scary, but if you don’t let them try out their wings, they will never learn to fly. As I have grown older, I have come to think of myself as a lid lifter. That is my main function as a team leader. If I can lift the leadership lids for the members of my team, then I am doing my job. The more barriers I remove for my people, the more likely they are to rise up to their potential.’ Jesus told His disciples, ‘You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain’ (John 15:16 NKJV). If you want lasting fruit and enduring results – take the time to develop leaders.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.