A Building Project

“Your success will be the degree to which you build up others who work with you.  While building up others, you build up yourself.”

– James Casey

(1922-2011) Comedian

In coaching many times you may have the opportunity to coach someone in a leadership position.  They may want to learn how to be a better leader, how to get more done or ways they can move to the next level in their career.  No matter what they may be looking for, one of the main issues in all leadership coaching is how they treat other people.  Be it in business or ministry, how a leader treats those they lead will mark the difference between success or failure.

                Coaching can be a very self focused thing.  It is just its nature.  You are looking to improve or move forward and therefore the focus is on the you, not the them.  However, when it comes to leadership, it is all about the them.  Leaders, lead.  They have people who are following them to a destination.  If that is not the case, then they are not leading.  As Dr. John C. Maxwell says, "If a leader does not have anyone following them then they are just going for a walk."

                As a coach, help your client to understand that their first concern needs to be, are they building up the people who follow them?  Are the people on the team growing and becoming better as they go along under their leadership.  Sometimes leaders do not like to see the people following them become really good at their jobs.  The fear is that they will someday replace them.  What you need to help them understand is that is exactly what they should be working toward.

                The success of others should never be a threat to the success-minded person.  One of the marks of a great leader is that when they leave their position, they have raised up someone who is better than they were to replace them.  If we do not help others to be their best, even better than we are, then we really are not leading others but just walking with them.

                Help your clients see that their success as a leader is in the quality of the people they are leading.  I have seen too many times business leaders and Pastors who mistreat or hold down people on their team who show great potential.  They fear that if others are better than they are they will out shine them.  However, great leaders understand that when you help those on your team to shine, you all shine brighter.  The best leaders always have the best people and work hard to make them even better that they found them.

                You matter to the world.  You are here to make a difference and that difference is good.  Remember the qualities of a real success-minded person: Be your best.  Love God.  Have good manners. Discover the unknown.  Change the world.

John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, and Life Coach. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey