How does anyone actually learn to lead?

Most of us probably begin learning by watching others long before we ever realize it.

That was certainly true for me.

My parents raised 11 children. My father was a teacher and coach, and my mother stayed home to raise our
family.

We never had a great deal of money growing up, but somehow my parents always made certain we had
opportunity.

At the time, I did not fully appreciate what remarkable leaders they truly were.

But looking back now, I realize they successfully placed not only me, but all 10 of my brothers and sisters,
on a path toward growth, responsibility, and success.

And they did not accomplish that through micromanagement or control.

Quite the opposite.

They allowed us to be ourselves. They allowed us to try new things. And most importantly, they allowed us
to fail along the way.

I was mowing the lawn by the time I was 10 years old.

Back then, when I finished mowing, my reward was usually a pack of baseball cards that cost a nickel.

One day I accidentally mowed too close to a culvert and bent the lawnmower blade.

I felt terrible.

I expected anger. Disappointment. Frustration.

Instead, my father simply asked me what I had learned, bought a new mower blade, and let me finish the
job.

I did not realize it at the time, but he was teaching me one of the greatest leadership lessons I would ever
learn.

Delegation is not easy.

Not only must leaders give up control, they must also accept the reality that tasks may sometimes be
completed differently than they envisioned.

At times people will make mistakes. At times they will fail. And as leaders, we remain accountable for the
outcome.

That reality causes many leaders to hold on too tightly.

But leadership development has always required trust.

Great leaders understand that people grow through responsibility, experience, mistakes, coaching, and
ownership.

The challenge is learning how much freedom to provide based upon:

the task itself

the competence of the individual

and the confidence they currently possess

That balancing act is one of the hardest lessons leaders at every level must learn.

But if you truly believe your primary responsibility as a leader is to develop the competence and confidence
of your people — ultimately developing future leaders — then the path forward becomes far clearer.

I failed my parents more times than I can count.

But many of those mistakes, failures, and experiences helped shape the person and leader I eventually
became.

And honestly, that may be one of the greatest gifts strong leaders ever give to others:

the freedom to grow through both success and failure.

What is the hardest obstacle for you personally when it comes to delegation?

A. Trusting others fully
B. Fear of mistakes
C. Letting go of control
D. Taking the time to coach and develop people
E. Something else