If You Want Growth, Develop Your Leaders
Leadership Development Is Not a Perk, But Crucial to Business Strategy
There’s a phrase from the book Fail-Safe Leadership that’s stuck with me ever since I read it:
“What you get from your people is determined by what you give to your leaders.”
It’s one of those lines that makes more and more sense the longer you lead. Because no matter how strong your strategy is or how talented your team may be. If your leadership can’t support growth, the business won’t sustain it.
A Lesson I Learned the Hard Way
When I was Director of Engineering, I had two new leaders join my organization at the same time.
One looked great on paper - he was experienced, confident, and knew the tech. I trusted that he’d find his footing quickly, so I gave him space and kept moving. The other was relatively new to leadership. He was green, but he was hungry, open to feedback, asked questions, and was willing to grow. I invested a lot of time coaching him, helping him understand not just the work, but how we lead at that specific company.
It didn’t take long to notice the difference between their teams.
The experienced manager’s team delivered on their commitments… but nothing more. They rarely brought new ideas or challenged the status quo. Things stayed predictable (and a little stagnant).
But the newer manager’s team? They not only delivered, they innovated. They came to meetings with creative approaches, raised quality standards, and built more durable solutions. It wasn’t just about execution. It was about energy, ownership, and growth.
That experience changed the way I saw leadership development: It’s not about tenure—it’s about intentional investment.
What Happens When Leadership Lags Behind Growth
Most businesses are growing faster than they’re leading. And it doesn’t always look like chaos. Sometimes it just feels… stuck:
A team unclear on priorities
A leader stretched too thin
Strategies that stall at the execution stage
Great people leaving because they feel unseen or unsupported
It’s easy to chase operational fixes here. But what’s often needed is a leadership reset.
Why Leadership Development Isn’t a Perk
Too often, development gets saved for the “high potentials” or delayed until “things settle down.” But the truth is:
Leadership development isn’t optional—it’s structural! It’s what holds your growth together when everything else starts moving faster.
Three Ways to Start Developing Leaders Now
1. Define What Great Leadership Looks Like (Not Just Titles)
Skip the buzzwords and get specific. What behaviors do your leaders need to model consistently? What kind of thinking, communication, and decision-making are required at this stage of growth?
💡 Not sure where to start? Use the free Fail-Safe Leadership Assessment to evaluate your leadership strengths and development gaps.
2. Make Growth a Daily Habit, Not a Yearly Event
Workshops are helpful, but real growth happens in the moment:
After tough meetings
During team conflict
In debriefs and coaching conversations
Through shared feedback, not just top-down reviews
Leadership development should be happening where leadership is happening.
3. Model Growth at the Top
If you want your leaders to grow, show them what it looks like.
Share your learning process. Ask for feedback. Admit where you're still growing.
When the most senior person in the room is still a learner, the entire culture shifts.
Final Thought
Leadership isn’t just about how much you know. It’s about how much you’re growing.
If you want your team to innovate, collaborate, and take ownership, they need to see that you’re doing the same. Development creates capacity. And capacity is what drives sustainable growth.
Ready to see where your leadership team stands?
Start with the free Fail-Safe Leadership Assessment—a clear, objective way to identify the leadership gaps that may be holding you or your business back.