If you wanted to move up in the world, you had to be a leader: in school, at work, in your extracurriculars. Leadership was the golden ticket, and the more opportunities you took, the closer you’d get to owning the whole chocolate factory
The first attempt
When Izzy hired her first employee, she thought she would be a superstar
- She started off great, but soon became disengaged and her performance started to decline
- After a few weeks, she quit
- Izzy felt like a failure and had to go back to the drawing board
The second attempt
He softened his tough-love approach and set better expectations
- Leadership was a career path, just like any other career path.
- And just like other leaders helped him achieve his desired journey along this path, he also needed to help those on his team achieve theirs
Give them a seat at the table
Weekly team meetings that allow everyone to be involved in decision-making
- Make sure your individual contributors are heard and seen
- A good balance between individual contributors and leaders at these types of meetings will minimize friction and improve overall communication
Leadership shouldn’t be the expectation
We put so much weight and focus on the need to grow into a leader that we’re failing to see that individual contributors often lack a unique plan to help them forge their path to success.
- Regularly meet with the people on your team and discuss what they were looking for in their growth.
Provide them with development opportunities
Your individual contributors are great at what they do, and they want to continue to improve on their skills
- Giving them opportunities to develop those skills or learn new ones will not only help them do their job better but will also help them feel more invested in what they’re working on
Identify your individual contributors early
Sit down with them and ask what they enjoy, what gets them excited for work, and-this is important-what they aren’t interested in
- DISC profile to home in on strengths and weaknesses
- You’ll be surprised how much an assessment like this can teach you about those on your team
Give them opportunities to grow laterally
Exposure to different areas of the business where they can contribute, while also expanding their knowledge and skillset.
- Recognize their efforts and rewards them for their efforts
- As they manage more projects and take on more responsibility, the pay and title should reflect that
