There's a question every leader needs to stop and ask themselves from time to time ~ Am I actually growing as a leader ot just getting better at doing what I've always done?
It's an important distinction.
You can have years of leadership experience, lead a growing team, manage more responsibility, and become increasingly competent at what you do. Yet none of those things automatically mean you're becoming a better leader.
Sometimes experience makes us wiser. Sometimes it simply makes us more comfortable with our habits.
After more than 37 years of leadership, I know how easy it is to become so focused on the demands of leading that we forget to invest in our own growth.
I believe there are three areas we need to keep paying attention to.
1. Are you leading yourself well?
It's easy to focus on what everyone else needs from us, but how much attention are we giving to our own development?
Are we aware of the values shaping our decisions? Do we recognise the impact our emotions have on the way we lead? Are we living within healthy boundaries, or simply responding to whatever demands our attention?
Good leadership begins with an honest understanding of ourselves.
It means being willing to examine our beliefs, recognise our blind spots, and then committing to make the changes we need to make.
2. Are you creating space for others to lead?
One of the biggest challenges for leaders is learning when to step back.
We often become the person people turn to for answers. We make decisions, solve problems, and keep things moving. If we're not careful, we can create teams who depend on us rather than people equipped to lead.
Leading from behind requires a different approach.
It means listening more, asking better questions, building trust, and giving people the opportunity to take ownership.
The question isn't simply whether you're getting things done. It's whether other people are growing because of the way you're leading.
3. Are you intentionally developing others?
It is possible to lead a team for years without really developing the people in it.
We can give people responsibilities, delegate tasks, and appreciate their contribution without ever helping them become more confident or capable leaders.
Developing others requires intentional investment.
It means making time for conversations, offering feedback, recognising potential and creating opportunities for people to learn through experience.
One question I keep coming back to is:
Who is becoming a better leader because I've invested in them?
It's a question worth asking regularly.
Growth needs intention
I don't believe any of us reaches a point where we've finished growing as a leader.
There will always be something to learn, something to reconsider, and something we need to do differently.
This is why I've been developing the Lead You Collective around these three themes: Lead Yourself Well, Lead From Behind, and Developing Others.
I want it to be a place where leaders can keep learning, reflect on their experiences, ask questions, hear different perspectives, and put what they're learning into practice.
Why? Because leadership development shouldn't just happen when we attend a conference or find time to read a book. It needs to become part of the rhythm of how we lead.
So here's my question for you:
Which of these three areas needs the most attention in your leadership right now?
Leading yourself well
Leading from behind
Developing others
Perhaps the first step towards becoming a better leader is being honest about where you need to grow.