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In our ongoing discussion of essential leadership skills, we’ve arrived at the ultimate measure of success: a leader’s ability to develop others. The common perception is that success lies in how many people report to you, but the truly transformative leader understands this deeper truth: The mark of a great leader is not how many people follow them, but how many leaders they create.

Building a sustainable organization requires a robust pipeline of future leaders. By shifting your focus from “doing” to “developing,” you build a legacy that outlasts your tenure and ensures your organization thrives long after you’ve moved on.

1. The Leader as a Talent Scout: Identifying Potential

You can’t develop future leaders unless you can spot them. Look beyond performance metrics and job titles; potential leaders often demonstrate key behaviors long before they assume a formal role.

• Look for Initiative, Not Just Compliance: Identify those who proactively take on problems outside their defined scope, not just those who perfectly follow instructions. They see a challenge and step up without being asked.
• Observe Conflict Management: How does a team member react to a difficult conversation? Potential leaders don’t shy away from conflict; they approach it with empathy and a focus on resolution—a clear sign of emotional intelligence and future decision-making ability.
• Seek Curiosity and a Growth Mindset: Look for individuals who consistently ask “why,” who seek feedback, and who treat setbacks as opportunities to learn. These are the people most willing to adapt and grow into larger roles.

2. The Power of the Partnership: Coaching vs. Mentoring

Once you identify potential, your relationship shifts from manager to developer. This process relies on two distinct, yet complementary, roles: Coach and Mentor.

Role	Focus	Approach	Key Question
Coach	Specific Performance & Skills	Action-oriented, focuses on immediate goal achievement and correcting behaviors.	“What steps will you take next week to handle this situation better?”
Mentor	Career & Long-Term Growth	Advisory, focuses on sharing wisdom, navigating organizational politics, and personal development.	“Based on my experience, here’s what I would consider in your situation…”

The Skillful Leader uses both: Use coaching to help your direct report master a new skill (a form of technical execution), and use mentoring to help them think strategically about their career path.

3. Building Your Legacy: Creating a Succession Pipeline

Development shouldn’t be random; it must be strategic. Great leaders formalize the process to ensure organizational resilience.

• The 70-20-10 Rule: This model emphasizes that development happens primarily through experience:
• 70% Experience: Learning through high-impact, challenging assignments (delegation and empowerment).
• 20% Exposure: Learning through others (mentoring, coaching, networking).
• 10% Education: Formal learning (courses, reading, theoretical frameworks).
• Your key role is assigning the right 70%—giving them the opportunity to lead a project or handle a crisis.
• The Gift of Delegation: The most effective way to develop leaders is to empower them by delegating a challenging, high-visibility project. Don’t delegate based on who can do it fastest; delegate based on who needs the experience most. This is where your trust in their potential pays dividends.
• Formalize Feedback Loops: Ensure potential leaders are receiving continuous, growth-focused feedback tied to their development goals. This transforms their learning from passive to active.

Through investing your time in creating the next generation of leaders, you secure the future success of your organization, solidify your own reputation as a developer of talent, and ensure your positive impact endures. That is the true definition of a powerful and lasting leadership legacy.

Theoretical Frameworks for Building Future Leaders

To build future leaders as described above, it is important to familiarise yourself with several well-established theoretical frameworks in leadership development, organizational behavior, and human resource management.

Here are the key frameworks that underpin the concepts in the article:

1. The 70-20-10 Model of Development

Core Concept	Importance	Application in the Article
Focuses on experiential learning: Posits that 70% of learning and development comes from challenging assignments and on-the-job experience, 20% from relationships (mentoring/coaching), and 10% from formal coursework.	This is the primary model for strategic execution of talent development. It justifies why the leader’s main role is to assign the “right 70%” (challenging, high-impact tasks).	Directly discussed in the “Building Your Legacy: Creating a Succession Pipeline” section, emphasizing that delegation is the most effective development tool.

2. Full Range Leadership Model (Bass & Avolio)

Core Concept	Importance	Application in the Article
Transformational Leadership: This is the highest level of leadership, focusing on inspiring and motivating followers to exceed expectations and develop their full potential. Key behaviors include Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, and Individualized Consideration (coaching/mentoring).	Transformational leaders are inherently focused on developing their followers into leaders themselves, aligning with the article’s core theme of building a legacy.	The entire article promotes a transformational mindset by focusing on inspiration, potential, and long-term development rather than transactional rewards.

3. Social Learning Theory (Albert Bandura)

Core Concept	Importance	Application in the Article
Learning through observation and modeling: Suggests that individuals learn by observing others’ behaviors and the consequences that follow. The leader acts as a role model.	Supports the importance of the Mentoring role. Future leaders learn by watching how the senior leader handles conflict, decision-making, and communication.	Supports the idea of “observing conflict management” and the Mentor role, where the veteran leader shares wisdom and demonstrates how to navigate the organization.

4. Differentiating Coaching vs. Mentoring

Core Concept	Importance	Application in the Article
Coaching: Short-term, task-specific, performance-driven partnership. Mentoring: Long-term, relationship-based, career/personal development focus.	This distinction is crucial for leaders to apply the right type of development at the right time. Misidentifying the need can lead to frustration.	Directly discussed and summarized in the table under “The Power of the Partnership,” emphasizing the need for leaders to use both roles strategically.

5. Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory

Core Concept	Importance	Application in the Article
Focuses on the unique, high-quality relationships (the “In-Group”) that leaders form with certain trusted followers. These “In-Group” members receive more challenges, support, and resources.	LMX explains the selection and empowerment of high-potential employees. The quality of the LMX relationship is directly linked to the follower’s development and career opportunities.	Supports the section “The Leader as a Talent Scout” and “The Gift of Delegation,” explaining why leaders invest more time and trust in those they’ve identified as future leaders.