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Lets look more closely today at the purpose of being a leader.

It is not to be the expert. It is not to be the problem solver.

The true purpose of being a leader is to get results though others. In order to do this you have to develop your direct reports. Develop their skills, their expertise, their potential. Develop people to replace you, for only then can you move up to the next level.

Profitability is defined as the return you get from deployment of your assets.

A Leader has three assets: Time, Knowledge and Values.

How you deploy them determines whether you are Leadership Profitable or Leadership Bankrupt.

Managers who constantly act as the “expert”; solving all the problems brought to them by subordinates, are leadership bankrupt. Managers who constantly “nag” staff about performance issues; yet never get them resolved, are leadership bankrupt.

Profitable Leaders use non-directive coaching as the primary communication skill. They deploy their time to develop the thinking and problem solving skills of subordinates, applying knowledge only where needed, then coaching staff to create their own solutions, taking ownership as they do so. True employee engagement resulting in higher productivity and lower attrition.

Amazing to see journalists from an HR specialist magazine writing stuff like this. Let me quote from the first part of the article, then go read and weep!

In the last segment, we talked about freeing up more of your time. Allowing yourself to be more strategic and think and plan for the future. This requires some delegation skills. It requires you to examine your daily tasks and figure out how you can teach members of your team as part of their development and preparation for moving to the next level.

We are going to explore what Leadership is, the challenges leaders face, and provide practical tips on how to make change, find and unleash the true potential of your people and get better results, faster.

Redefining how you think about leadership, and then taking new action, can be one of the most significant things you can do to transform your organisation.