Developing People Is Our Highest Calling

“To reach the upper levels of leadership that create elite organizations, leaders must transition from producers to developers.”

– John C. Maxwell

Do you believe the best in people?

Would you commit your life to identify and developing potential within the people around you?

Is it your conviction that everyone can live beyond their current production levels and grow to become intentional influencers?

Do you believe the best in others can be brought to the surface?

I know that John Maxwell developed a lifestyle of believing the best in others, something I learned early in my journey with the John Maxwell Team. In this “Number 10 Principle,” Maxwell states, “I believe everyone I meet is a 10, I choose to believe the best in them, so I give them a perfect score on a scale from one to ten.”

This practice of believing the best in people and helping them see it in themselves is a game-changer. Making people development a priority ensures the future success of your organization as well as the future success of family and friends, leaving behind an inspiring legacy.

Developing People

“Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position.” – Brian Tracy

When it comes to developing people, one of the first questions I often hear is, “How do we begin?” My response is simple, look for a need to meet. Once you get to know the people you’re helping, you become motivated to continue helping others.

There are countless ways to approach developing people around you or those within your organizations, thus, taking everyone to new levels of effectiveness. Recognizing the gifts and talents of those within your company can begin with a simple leadership assessment. (1)

When it comes to developing people, John Maxwell says, “Many people view leadership the same way they view success, hoping to go as far as they can, to climb the ladder, to achieve the highest position possible for their talent. But contrary to conventional thinking, I believe the bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others. That is achieved by serving others and adding value to their lives.”

8 Steps to Developing People

“Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results, not attributes.”

– Peter Drucker

I will address each of the eight steps in separate articles; below is a brief overview of the eight steps to developing people.

• You Are Here: The first step in developing people is to locate ourselves
• Identify: The second step in developing people is to know who we’re looking for
• Awareness: The third step in developing people is to have our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors aligned to achieve predictable outcomes
• Giftedness: The fourth step in developing people is keeping them in the areas of their giftedness
• Styles: The fifth step in developing people is to help them understand their styles which produces both perceptions and behaviors
• Character: The sixth step in developing people is the importance of certain Character types
• Motivation: The seventh step in developing people is understanding motivation
• Journey: The eighth step in developing people is understanding the process as a journey

The foundation of all people development is the lifelong habit of developing ourselves. The better we understand ourselves the better we understand people. In leadership as in life, experience is the best teacher. We cannot lead people down roads we have never walked, an education can be obtained through reading books, reading people can only be achieved through experience.

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”

– Harvey Firestone

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