You always want your employees to continue developing, especially in their leadership qualities. You’ll never know when a task will come where they need to take charge and be a leader. This is why you should encourage your employees to become leaders. Here are some of my tips on developing leaders in the workplace:
Act as a Mentor
We all know about the importance of continuing education, but sometimes the best form of continuing education is through a mentor. It’s not just a way to teach them useful on-the-job skills, but it’s also to instill within them positive qualities and traits, including the including the mindset of a leader.
Lead by Example
Possibly the most important thing you can do is lead by example. You can be a mentor and you can guide others, but none of that will matter if they don’t see that the person giving them that advice is getting results. When you’re a proactive and effective leader who’s on-the-ball and gets things done, that won’t just help rub off on them, but that will give your words credibility as well.
Encourage Them to Network
Networking can be an anxiety-inducing experience for many people and that’s understandable. However, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t provide many benefits. Forging connections and initiating conversations with strangers will help an employee develop confidence, in addition to being a great way to share knowledge and expertise.
I encourage you to take these ideas into consideration and utilize them for your employees. You may just have the next batch of great leaders training under you!
Author:
Dr. Rick Workman
Founder & Executive Chairman, Heartland Dental