During a recent discussion with a friend of mine who is a good man, a SWAT officer, a dedicated trainer, a passionate leader and a great father the talk turned to training. One of the themes that came up repeatedly in our conversation was ‘developing people’.
The more I thought about it the more I realized those two words serve as a definition of the key role of trainers and leaders. In both those capacities your job is to become a ‘Developer of People’.
As a developer of people the first person you need to develop is yourself. As John Maxwell likes to say “leadership is an inside job”. You need to develop yourself as:
- a person,
- a leader,
- an educator,
- an influencer,
- a story teller (we learn through stories)
- a presenter
- a tactician
- a practitioner
- a learner
- a role model
- a mentor
- a coach
- a guide
- a thought leader
Once you develop yourself, then you can start to become a developer of other people. In this role you build on people’s strengths and talents. You find the good in others. You help people see failure as an opportunity to learn and to grow. You develop their skills and abilities. You help people reframe difficulties into challenges and opportunities for growth. You develop people’s competence and confidence. You develop them as a leader. You develop them as a role model and coach for others. You develop them as a learner. You develop them as thought leaders.
Once you accept your primary role as a trainer and as a leader (as a trainer you are in a key leadership position) it will serve to guide your actions and you will truly become a person of influence.
Take care.
Brian Willis
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