Who’s Your Number 2, 3, 4?

Even as a new leader, you can’t ignore the fact that your position as a leader is temporary.

One day you’ll leave. You’ll transition out of your leadership position. And someone will take over for you.

Or maybe you’ll be asked to leave. Not given the choice to exit your leadership position gracefully.

Know who your crew is

While we don’t really look forward to either kind of exit, we still know that we will leave one day. Either by choice or by force.

In the meantime, we’ve got to be raising up others to become a leader in our place.

Know Who’s Under You

Now, I don’t mean this in a derogatory way. The fact is that we have team members we’re leading over and they’re technically under us.

That’s the way organizations work.

There’s a leader, there’s someone under him, and so on. Work with the organizational structure.

With the thought firmly in your mind that you will not always be the leader at your organization, begin taking note of these below. Look at them.

Look at each team member. Seek out their strengths. And discover their desires.

See who’s willing to step  up to the leadership plate. Find out who’s wanting to be a leader and who can be a leader.

The people you discover in your search, they become your number 2, 3, 4, 5, etc…

Develop The Next Generation Of Leaders

Now that you’ve discovered who’d underneath you, work with them. Begin raising up new leaders in your organization.

There’s many ways you can build up new leaders.

Give an opportunity to lead

A lot of leaders like to hold tightly to their leadership. They feel any loosening of the reigns undermines their authority and allows others to supersede their vision.

That’s not true. All that does is create more work for you and holds those under you back.

Great leaders know they must give others the chance to lead. In doing so, they free up their own time and help others become the leader they were destined to be.

Pour into their lives

Everyone needs a mentor. They need someone who’s willing to share their heart with them.

Be that to one or two people within your organization.

Take the time to break away from the busy work and share how you got to where you’re currently at.

In doing so, you give hope. You show care. And you build loyalty.

You also create new leaders. Your wisdom is imparted to them. They, in turn, continue your leadership legacy.

Be an example

You can only take on so many mentees. But you can be an example to everyone in the organization.

Do what’s right. Be generous. Get things done.

Every action you take can be an example for others. Be that shining example of what a leader looks like.

Work on figuring out who you would like to see take over for you. Don’t work on just a single person.

Bring in a group that you can work with. Pour into their lives.

Give them advice. Show them what real leadership looks like. And help them become the next generation of leaders.

That’s why you need to know who your number 2, 3, and 4 are. They’re the legacy you’re leaving behind.

Question: Do you know who you’re pouring into? Let us know who they are in the comment section below.
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