A Gift of Time

Time, in my opinion, is one of the most precious commodities. It waits for no one. When it passes, you cannot bring it back. In essence, there is no rewind and there is no way of pausing it. You have a choice to stay in the moment or let it go by.

As a leader, you have a profound impact in your organization. This is done through strategic thinking and formulating a shared vision that enables the company to achieve its goal. Another way is growing talent around them. In doing so, they're not only increasing the talent base but also having a multiplying effect as more people are developed over time.

As the leader moves up, they have to give up more of their time and themselves. In a way, it is sacrificing on their part to lead others. However, the best gift a leader can give to their people is the gift of time. Here are some of the ways a leader can give a gift of their time:

1) Coaching or mentoring - These one-on-one sessions create the most impactful relationship. In this session, the person you're working with gets your full and undivided attention. This also provides the maximum engagement.

2) Teaching a class - Most leaders have a depth of knowledge in the industry that they are working on. They love to add value to others. The best way to add value is through teaching.

3) Project engagement - This a very effective means of growing talent. The leader gets a chance to work with their people on projects that allow them to impart knowledge as well as assess the overall capability of their people. This enables their constituents to learn while participating in a project with set deliverables. Greater satisfaction can be gained through this method because of the opportunity to learn and get effective feedback can be made instantaneously.

4) Writing articles and blog posts - A leader can share their perspective on a particular topic and this can help enlighten their constituents. This method is effective as an offline mode of engaging their constituents.

Growing talent is important for every organization. A leader plays an important role in leading the way. As a leader, what other methods have you used to grow talent around you?