Has someone believed in you more than you believed in yourself in your career? Most of us have had that experience. Dave could see the potential of a young gun on his team. This guy was quick on the uptake and eager to make his mark. There was an exciting energy about him, which you could see in his eyes.
Dave asked him to take on a big new accountability, way outside his comfort zone. His protege doubted himself at first, saying he did not want to let his boss down. But Dave was not having any of it. He believed in him and treated him like an adult who was more than capable of stepping up.
His faith was well placed. The young gun produced outstanding results and tapped into leadership capability he did not know he had. His career took off, and he attributes his success to the faith that Dave placed in him.
Why pay it forward?
You are only as good as the team you have around you. You will burn out trying to do everything yourself in leadership. Creating an exceptional team of high-performing leaders around you frees you up to think about the big picture.
One way to create high performing leaders around you is to expect more of them. If you believe that they have what it takes, then you know they will expand their leadership capability.
Tom Peters co-author of In Search of Excellence in this brief clip provides his definition of leadership, which in essence is to induce people to grow. He quotes American film director and producer Robert Altman in his lifetime achievement Oscar acceptance speech: “The director allows an actor to become more than they’ve ever dreamed of being.”
🙋♂️ Do you believe in people more than they believe in themselves? 🙋♀️
Best Regards, Brian