In the latest episode of Lessons in Leadership, leadership expert and author Dave Anderson targets what he calls the fourth major temptation of successful organizations: the tendency for leaders to stop developing their people. He expressed that this often happens not out of laziness, but pride.
“When everything is going well, leaders start thinking, ‘As long as I’m here, we’ll be fine,’” Anderson said. “So they stop coaching. They stop mentoring. And they start making everything about themselves, even if they never say it out loud.”
According to Anderson, two common reasons leaders neglect development are ego and lack of know-how. Some fear that empowering others may reduce their own value or authority. Others simply don’t know how to train, coach, or offer feedback effectively, although he insists that those are skills any leader can learn.
“If you don’t know how to lead, that’s ignorance, and ignorance can be fixed,” he said. “But if you know how and you still don’t do it, that’s just stupid.”
Anderson cautioned that this mindset can have serious consequences. When leaders hoard decisions and stifle delegation, teams become dependent, individuals stop thinking for themselves, and organizational growth plateaus. Eventually, he said, the business suffers.
Furthermore, Anderson encourages leaders to cultivate humility and shift their perspective on the value and contribution they offer.
“You need your team more than they need you.”
To make his point, he offered a striking analogy: “Take a day off and see what they produce when you’re gone.” Then, “ let all of them take a day off and see what you produce.”
He emphasized that leaders are not indispensable, and the sooner they realize that, the sooner they can build a sustainable team. Developing people, he said, is the best way to increase a team’s capacity to produce.
“If you want to keep rolling, or start rolling again, get back to coaching, training, mentoring, and holding people accountable,” he said. “That’s how you grow.”
Anderson concluded the segment by urging viewers to reflect honestly, take action, and catch up on the complete six-part series at CBTNews.com.
His new book, Elevate Your Excellence, is now available.
