How Leaders Develop and Grow Capacity

The greatest crisis of any generation is that of leadership. When leadership fails, the family, church and nations fail. That’s why the quality of leaders we develop, become or embrace really matter.

It’s important we see leadership, not merely as a role to perform, but a life to be lived. Leadership is essentially about influence.

Whether you are a parent, business manager, entrepreneur, student, pastor of a local or global church… there is a leader in you. And great leaders develop and grow their capacity to lead effectively.

So, how can you do that?

Leaders take the initiative

Too many are waiting for someone else to validate them before they can lead. No. You are not a leader because someone says so or gives you a name tag.

If you have a knack for solving problems, influencing people, stepping up to take responsibilities and owning your decisions, you are a leader.

When you see a problem, don’t wait for permission — go on and fix it. That’s leadership. When you discern a genuine need, help if you can. That’s leadership.

The ability to be proactive and take initiative is a vital ingredient for impactful leadership. You have been blessed greatly with gifts that solve other people’s problem — don’t waste them.

Stop waiting for permission and start leading today.

Leaders stay accountable

Without accountability, leadership becomes authoritarian. Humility is not a quality for the led alone but more importantly for the leader.

When leadership lacks the humility to stay accountable to others, especially to the led, abuse of influence becomes inevitable.

Personal integrity in leadership continues to suffer for lack of accountability. If you don’t feel a sense of accountability, you’re likely to act on impulse without thinking of the deeper consequences of your decisions on others.

The leader who believes he’s above others will ultimately fail the test of leadership. It’s not about position; what we have in leadership is a burden of responsibility to influence others to be intentional with their own lives.

Stay accountable.

Leaders read books

Leaders grow by reading.

I fell in love with books in my early teens. That was about the same time I started writing. But my love affair with words was underpinned by a greater desire for learning.

Great leaders develop a healthy passion for learning and they are disciplined about it.

It was the 17th-century English writer Joseph Addison who said (or wrote): “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.“

Reading grows the leader’s capacity to understand, engage and relate with people and broadens the mind.

Never stop learning; keep reading.

Leaders take risks

Until you're willing to fail, you may never succeed // How Leaders Develop and Grow Capacity Click To Tweet

Great leaders embrace failure as an asset, not the enemy of success. Too many times, we are too afraid to fail, we fail to take action.

You must be willing to step out of your comfort zone and take risks. And if you fail, learn something from the experience and go again with a tweaked action plan.

There is no shame in failing — but what a shame for the man who refuses to try for fear of failing.

If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary — Jim Rohn

Leaders take risks that align with the trajectory of their calling and purpose.

Leaders stay teachable

Leaders stay teachable by exposing themselves to other leaders who can inspire their vision — Proverbs 27:17. Nobody is a lone fountain of knowledge.

Peer-mentoring is a powerful tool for leaders. Seek out people of conviction and connect with them. Take time out from the limelight to listen to and learn from other leaders.

Mentoring is not only for ‘the people’. Leader needs mentors too because leaders develop leaders.

Teachability is an indispensable ingredient to develop our leadership capacity. The humble man will farther.

Leaders invest in themselves

To remain relevant, you must create a healthy cycle of personal development. Leaders invest in their personal growth.

You never stop learning and growing because the challenges of leadership are ever evolving // How Leaders Develop and Grow Capacity Click To Tweet

Spend money on leadership resources. Invest in training programmes where you can learn practical life skills on how to communicate and lead people effectively.

Invest your time in community and business-based initiatives that align with your passion. Attend leadership events where you can connect and engage with other leaders.

Simply put — leaders invest in themselves. 

Photo by Mathias Jensen on Unsplash.