The Impossibility of Developing Others Without a Process

Many leaders have told me they value developing others. With great conviction they’ve shared that leadership development is a high priority in their organization, company, or church. When I ask what their development strategy or process is they’ve rarely offered a clear answer. 

Dave Ferguson, co-founder and president of the Exponential Network, developed a simple, practical, and intentional mental model for developing others that I’ve latched onto.

I do, you watch, we talk.

I do, you help, we talk.

You do, I help, we talk.

You do, I watch, we talk.

You do, someone else watches.

I love the repeated element “we talk.” You can’t develop people meaningfully and robustly from afar; you must be up close and in relationship with them in order to truly make a lasting impact.  

I’ve used this mental model countless times with volunteers, leaders, staff members – even my own two sons. (You can learn more by listening to Episode 128 of the Resilient Leaders podcast). I can look back on my life and see that, when I was a young leader, others used this mindset in some form or another in my own development. I’m grateful for Dave’s model – and I’m grateful for those who’ve developed me: Randy, Mark, Walter, Jay, Tom, and Eugene, to name a few.

As Liz Wiseman writes, our job is not to be a leader; our job is to be a leader-multiplier.