I came across this quote and it got me thinking. It said –

” It’s a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test.”

That is so true in this day and age where talent comes and goes, where loyalty is passe’ and attrition, recruitment and retention are challenges which most organisations, business leaders and HR grapple with .

Wonder how many organisations actually take the cost of non conformance  seriously enough in rupee or dollar terms due to this huge churn that affects top line, bottom line, client and partner relationships among others.

I think leadership goes one step beyond ” discovering ability” and that is inproviding an atmosphere and culture of ” nurturing ability” in leaders and budding leaders through structured and self based learning, development and training that is inclusive, engaging, aspirational and measurable and a top priority for the organisation.

Discovering and Nurturing ability is a Core responsibility of every team leader whatever the level. And a must do and not just a nice to do.

Great leaders involve themselves in designing programs that engage employees in cross functional team projects, quality initiatives and other initiatives that expose them to larger company and industry wide initiatives and not just to their narrow silo specialization.

The debate on creating more specialists or more generalists will always continue. Both need to co exist.

And as the ladder towards the top  and the promotion funnel narrows down towards general management roles and above, its the ” lead – ability” of these leaders that can make the difference in their elevation or stagnation.

My recent comment on the mid career crisis many leaders face is a result of what I have observed as a Mentor and a Coach.

” Almost 70% of the Corporate leaders and entrepreneurs I have coached have been in the 35- 45 age bracket. Is that increasingly becoming the tipping point for professionals in the rat race to step back, introspect and stock take, and move forward with a clearer purpose and direction ? And to feel more in control?”

At the end, like it or not, leaders grow based not just on their subject matter expertise or their performance, but on their ability to Identify, Develop, Inspire, Retain and Build a strong leadership pipeline. And based on how they adapt to different pressures or roles or bosses and create positive perceptions and respect from the stake holders they deal with for their outputs.

We hear of the importance of IQ, EQ and SQ in making a great leader and its so critical that the mind, heart and values that drive leaders are fine tuned to build more leaders and run high performance teams. As explained below SQ = IQ + EQ

Leaders, Mentors or coaches who are more evolved, secure,unbiased, able to step back and look more holistically at a person, or those who can identify the bright sparks, have the eye for potential and  to discover ability in others and nurture it are the ones who make the differenceto building a solid leadership pipeline which then becomes the future proof lifeline for the organization.

Leadership quotient then becomes a powerful combination of a variety of these strengths, qualities and competencies that these leaders demonstrate consistently.

And that is what creates an aura around them and make many other leaders aspire to get there too.

If you like this article or have different thoughts on this topic do share your like and comments to help build a discussion around it. And do feel free to share this article with your contacts who might also like the read and benefit from it.