Discover. Develop. Deploy.
Picture this: It’s Tuesday, 1 p.m., and I’m in my office preparing for an employee review with one of our recent hires. I fixed myself a nice, steaming-hot cup of coffee from the small machine in the corner—just the little after-lunch pick-me-up that I needed.
By then, I wasn’t conducting many reviews anymore. My responsibilities as VP had grown significantly. Dad was still active in leading the business, but he was slowly entrusting more to me and coaching me, as he always did, in his kind but firm way.
This one was different. I wanted to do this review for several reasons. For starters, I hired her. But way more than that, this young lady was a thoroughbred. I mean, she was elite—a total stallion—smart, articulate, incredibly capable. She had that sort of natural charisma that made people want to follow her, even if she wasn’t officially in charge.
Anyway, I was pumped.
She knocked politely, even though my door was open and she knew I was expecting her.
“Hey, Isabelle. Come on in. Have a seat,” I said casually.
I was already sitting at the round table in my office waiting. So she sat down.
“Okay. Let’s just get into it,” she said, smiling confidently—not cocky—just self-assured. So we chatted for several minutes about how she was doing in her new role, how she was acclimating to the business, what obstacles she was facing, and so on. As I said before, she was literally killing it every day. So it was all easy news to deliver.
Alright. Let’s dig a bit.
“So… Million-dollar question: Where do you see yourself in five years with this company?” She sat back and thought, maybe wondering if I was serious, or maybe thinking about how honest she could safely be.
She looked at me with that same confidence and said, “I want your job.”
Oh, man. I knew this would be good!
I just smiled. “Okay then. Let’s get to work.”
And while it may not have been within exactly five years, and while there were twists along the way, on the day I sold that business, she was, in fact, thriving as the vice president. Looking back, watching her grow into that role is one of the highlights of my time there.
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
—Jack Welch
Talented, high-performing people long to be a part of a team that not only allows but causes them to grow and thrive. On top of that, they long to be coached by leaders who (1) see their gifts, (2) help them develop as leaders, and (3) allow them to soar.
A wheelbarrow is a small, hand-driven cart used to move heavy loads. Most of us have used one at some point, and they can be useful. But consider the unfortunate fact that many leaders take a “wheelbarrow” approach to their teams—meaning that the people in their organizations only go where they are “pushed,” and only do what the person pushing has decided. At best, this model is severely limited. At worst, it’s downright dehumanizing.
The late industrialist Harvey S. Firestone once said, “The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”
But answering this “calling” requires more than just good intentions. First and foremost, it starts with taking time to see and understand the people on your team. From there, it requires you to intentionally find ways to come alongside them, helping them grow and thrive as leaders.
Difficult as it may be, in the end you will have
more people making meaningful,
Do you practice a wheelbarrow approach to leadership?
autonomous contributions without the need for micromanagement or other toxic behaviors that inevitably lead to attrition and burnout. Your team will feel more satisfied with their work and so will you.
Food for Thought:
So, how about you?
Are you taking hold of your leadership responsibility to Discover, Develop, and Deploy other leaders in your business?
Look around and ask, “Who are the natural leaders in the room?”
Create a leadership culture that encourages growth and development.
Learn to coach and let the team play the game.
Follow Kevan Grinwis on LinkedIn
August 2026