One of the most significant transitions in your leadership journey happens when you realize you've graduated from directing people to developing them. It's a pivotal moment—one where you shift from simply instructing others to inspiring them to grow independently.
Like any good developer, surveying the raw material before you is the first step. Every individual has untapped potential, but here's the real beauty of leadership development: when done correctly, people don't just get developed—they develop themselves.
Many of you have heard me share how my father, Charlie "Tremendous" Jones, approached developing others. He didn't hand out quick-fix advice when someone came to him with a challenge, issue, or roadblock. Instead, he took them into his library, a treasure trove of tens of thousands of books, and had them read aloud for 20 minutes.
Why? Because he understood the first rule of proper development:
Park your smarts and let the individual do the discovering.
Leveraging the Brilliance of Others
My father mastered the tremendous art of leveraging other people's brains. He knew what he didn't know—but more importantly, he knew where to find what he needed to know. That's why he loved books so much. The wisdom of the ages was waiting to be unlocked by anyone willing to read, reflect, and apply.
He also understood a critical truth about human nature:
If you tell someone they're wrong, they take offense. But if you show them, they discover it for themselves. Check out this video where Tremendous shares how to get others to realize an issue through humor.
That's why he used stories, humor, and lessons from books. By depersonalizing the lesson, he allowed the students to reach their own conclusions—and, most importantly, their own applications.
The Three R's of Tremendous Followership
When we empower those under our care to take ownership of their own development, we unlock the three critical elements of tremendous followership:
- Readiness – The willingness to seek out truth, even when it's uncomfortable. Yes, the truth will set you free, but sometimes it lands like a knockout punch first!
- Receptivity – The ability to hear and receive wisdom, whether it comes through books, mentors, or life experiences.
- Responsiveness – The discipline to apply what's learned and implement that newfound knowledge.
Life's most extraordinary students aren't just those who listen; they're those who take what they've discovered and do something with it.
So ask yourself today:
- Am I directing, or am I developing?
- Am I telling, or am I showing?
- Am I parking my smarts and letting others discover their own potential?
True leadership isn't about how much you know but how well you help others find what they need to grow. And that's a lesson worth passing on.
Stay tremendous!
