How to Unlock Real Leadership Potential in your Employees
By: Preston Cox
In 2016, Kara Powell, researcher at Fuller Youth Institute, and her team published an extraordinary book entitled Growing Young (1), which laid forth strategies for communities of faith to better engage the younger generation. While the book is primarily addressed to Christian faith leaders, several principles translate to other areas of leadership.
Perhaps the most profound suggestion comes in a new form of leadership the authors call “keychain leadership.” This new and practical model of leadership found its origins in a story of Stephen (aka “Stretch). The story goes that Stretch stopped by his church while testing out his newly minted driver’s license. Over his young life, Stretch had found a second home at his faith community. On this day, Stretch arrived at the church just as their daycare was letting out for the afternoon. Ever in the need for more childcare volunteers, one of the coordinators took notice of Stretch and asked if he would like to help out at the daycare. Stretch excitedly jumped at the opportunity to serve the community that had loved him so dearly. However, the biggest surprise came when the childcare coordinator handed him a key so that he could help lock up the building after he fulfilled the duties of his new job. Stretch was ecstatic that such responsibility and trust was being handed over to him.
And then it happened again.
Later at work, the youth pastor of the church came to Stretch and asked if he would be interested in helping restock the soda machine. To do so, Stretch would, of course, need a key to access the machine. Yet another key was added to his keychain. On and on this went. Keys kept being added to his keyring, along with trust and responsibility. Later the church leadership gave him the best key of all: an opportunity to work as a youth pastor. The authors share that Stretch is now the senior leader of that church.
He found his calling and place because leaders entrusted him with responsibility and leadership, and it all started with sharing a key.
I love this story for so many reasons. Having previously served as an executive leader at a church, I know how often communities of faith withhold leadership and responsibility from their congregation. To be fair, this is not typically done with bad intentions. It’s just that leaders often hold tightly to positions of power, forgetting that they achieved their leadership status because someone once trusted them with a “key.” The same is true for business leaders in the corporate world. As leaders, we work hard to maintain the places of power we have achieved. In doing so, we tend to tell ourselves, “No one else could (or should) do this but me.” We think empowering someone else might look weak or like we not willing to take on the challenge.
But what if a tight grip on power is actual stunting you and your business’s growth? What might happen if you began empowering those who work for you? How might you share keys to your company or organization with others? How might empowering your employees accelerate their personal and professional growth? How might their input energize your strategy and planning meetings, or increase your sales?
The truth of the matter is, we don’t know someone’s potential until we let them try. In handing out “keys,” we let upcoming leaders give more input, take on projects, and be more involved in the company or organization. We prepare young and promising leaders by trusting them and letting them take ownership of the work they are doing.
This week, I encourage you to take some time to reflect and identify the “Stretches” that exist in your company or organization. To whom could you give out some keys? In doing so, how might you encourage growth in their own lives and your business? You might be surprised that when you entrust these people you will boost enthusiasm, energize their spirit, and ultimately grow your business.
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1. Powell, Kara. E. (2016). Growing Young: Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover
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