If you never make the decision to become a developer of people in addition to being a doer of tasks, your leadership impact and legacy will forever be limited to where you are physically present.

Void of a commitment to development, the organization, department, team, or child will always need you to be successful. Your presence. Your management. Your input. Your guidance.

With a commitment to consistently and systematically investing your time in the intentional development of people, over time, here is what is possible:

Their progress without your presence.
Their success without your strategy.
Their growth without your guidance.
Their wise choices without your wise counsel.

When it comes to your approach to work and leadership you have a choice:

Will you work in such a way that for the organization, department, team, or child you are leading to be successful they need to be with you or will you work in such a way that whatever you are leading can one day be successful without you?

It’s counterintuitive, but it’s true:

The person who is best at working themselves out of job is the most valuable person on the job.

And this isn’t just a message/leadership principle for middle managers, directors, and folks not as high on the organization chart.

I think those that need to hear and heed this message most are senior leaders. Senior leader, if you’ve been in your role for 5 years or more, and if you need to be present for “it” to be productive, you may be unintentionally pursuing a leadership legacy you will one day not be so proud of — being needed.