One thing that defines Leaders is that they have Followers. If you want your organization to grow and thrive in the coming months, that will not be enough. Leaders also need to be able to find and develop Leaders. While it’s true that not everyone is cut out to be a Leader or wants to be a Leaders or should be a Leader, there are things that Leaders do to produce Leaders:

Talk – Share with people the experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from the successes and those non-successes.

Coach – Provide feedback and opportunities for guidance, input, and direction so others can learn with someone helping rather than waiting to see what happens.

Train– Review the strategy and planning required and the skills needed to insure strategy success. Provide opportunities for management development training programs where people develop critical skills and you provide opportunities and support the application of what they’ve learned.

Mentor – Be the touchstone for potential leaders and provide the support they need to risk successfully.

Above all else, this requires the most precious commodity there is: Time. In order to grow Leaders, genuine time must be set aside to teach, show by example, and discuss how leading is actually done. Very few people learn leadership well by being tossed into the leadership waters to see if they can swim. The best leaders and leader-developers spend a significant amount of their time developing the leadership skills of others rather than looking how best to develop their own career.

Ask yourself if you are a true Leader or just someone who is eager for followers. Your employees already know which you are.

Nationally recognized consultant, trainer, author and professional speaker Joni Daniels is Principal of Daniels & Associates, a management consulting practice that specializes in developing people in the areas of leadership and management, interpersonal effectiveness and efficiency, skill- building, and organizational development interventions. With over 30 years of experience, she is a sought after resource for Fortune 500 clients, professional organizations, higher education, media outlets and business publications. Joni can be reached at http://jonidaniels.com