It has been said that a key attribute of an excellent leader is to develop, motivate and stimulate apparently ordinary people to unusual efforts. Leaders are often charged with finding the high potentials – the winners in the organization. But while being able to identify the winners is important is it the most important challenge and issue or is the real challenge for leaders is in how to make winners out of the minions of “ordinary” staff/employees. Martha Peak, Group Editor for AMA Magazines is quoted in the Management Review in 10/1992 as saying: “My father had a simple test that helps me measure my own leadership quotient: When you are out of the office he once asked me, does you staff carry on remarkably well without you?"

Okay, so we all know we need to develop our people to make sure they are ready today and more importantly to face and lead us through the challenges and opportunities in the future. But when times are great, business is hopping, the economy is strong and employees are stretched and working hard, we find we do not have the time nor can we spare the human resources to training and development programs. And when times are slow, when the economy is tanking and sales and revenue and profits are down, we don’t have the dollars to spare on training employees. But shouldn’t that be when we take advantage of the time and invest in our most valuable resource so they can face our challenges more skilled and qualified? Do we want to find ourselves in the same dilemma with leaders and staff unable to tackle the current challenges or do we want leaders and staff to perform with emotional intelligence, innovative ideas and the ability to commit and motivate others?

Dr. Seuss in his wisdom said: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Could this mean going to the top of your business or industry’s competitive mountain with prepared leaders and employees?

Yes every business or organization needs to watch their spending carefully in tough times. But it is shortsighted if our short term strategy includes cutting all training and development of the resources that will be needed to move the organization ahead in the prosperous times. The strategy needs to include both doing things more efficiently and effectively in the organization and on developing the resources that will ensure we are competitive in the future. This is a leadership quagmire.

What do you think? As always, let’s keep the conversation going!

"There are no such things as limits to growth, because there are no limits to the human capacity for intelligence, imagination, and wonder." --Ronald Reagan