Things Leaders Do

Mentoring and Coaching: Developing the Next Generation of Leaders

• Colby Morris

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Mentoring and Coaching: Developing the Next Generation of Leaders

Description:

Discover how to empower the next generation of leaders through effective mentoring and coaching in this episode of the TLD podcast! Join leadership expert Colby Morris as he reveals actionable strategies for leadership development. Learn why your true legacy as a leader lies in the leaders you nurture, not just your own successes.

What You’ll Learn:

  • How to spot future leaders with high potential for growth
  • A practical, step-by-step guide to impactful mentoring conversations
  • The importance of real-time, honest feedback in shaping leadership skills
  • Top training resources, including must-read books and courses for leaders
  • Ways to set clear leadership expectations and provide ongoing support

Perfect for executives, managers, or anyone eager to enhance their leadership approach, this episode delivers practical mentoring tips and coaching strategies to build a team of confident, capable leaders. Packed with inspiring stories and expert advice, it’s your go-to resource for leadership training and development.

Connect with Colby

Want Colby to speak or coach? Hit him up on LinkedIn or the website.

Subscribe now to transform your leadership journey and start developing the next generation of leaders today!

Tags: #Leadership #Mentoring #Coaching #LeadershipDevelopment #NextGenerationLeaders


Speaker 1:

Welcome to Things Leaders Do, the podcast that uncovers the secrets of becoming an extraordinary leader. If you're a leader who's constantly seeking growth, inspiration and tangible ways to level up your leadership, then you've come to the right place. Remember, the world needs exceptional leaders, and that leader is you. Now here's your host, colby Morris is you Now?

Speaker 2:

here's your host, colby Morris. What if your greatest legacy as a leader isn't your achievements but the leaders you leave behind? Hello leaders, and welcome back to the TLD Podcast. I am an experienced leader who's led it every level level, from frontline manager to executive, and I've been right there with you. My goal is simple give you actionable tools and insights that you can start using today, helping you become a better leader faster. Today we're diving into something critical to sustain leadership mentoring and coaching, specifically how we intentionally develop the next generation of leaders. Let's kick things off with a quote from one of my favorites, john Maxwell, and this one has just really stuck with me. He said a leader's lasting value is measured by succession. Think about that. A real impact isn't just what we've accomplished, it's who we prepare to lead after us.

Speaker 2:

I once had a phenomenal sales rep on my team. He was my Michael Jordan. I once had a phenomenal sales rep on my team. He was my Michael Jordan. He crushed every target. He knew the product inside and out and was the guy literally everyone turned to. So naturally I thought who better to lead the team than my top performer? I promoted him, patted myself on the back and just waited for the magic to happen. Spoiler alert it didn't. In fact, it backfired rather spectacularly. Why Quite? Simply because he didn't want to lead. I had not prepared him for that. I assumed his sales success would just automatically translate to leadership. Companies do this all the time. We take our best individual contributors and we say congratulations, you're a coach now. But here's the hard truth Great performers aren't automatically great leaders. Leadership is a completely different skill set that requires intention and training. Looking back, I realized that I'd set him up to fail by not giving him the tools to succeed. That's when I knew I had to get intentional about developing leaders. So how do we avoid the mistake I made with my sales rep?

Speaker 2:

I want to dive into five practical steps for intentional mentoring and coaching. Here's how you can mentor and coach your people into those leadership roles. Step one you have to identify future leaders intentionally. Look, not everyone is cut out for leadership, and that's okay. Okay, look for individuals who show high emotional intelligence. High emotional intelligence, natural influence with their peers. They have this curiosity and a hunger to grow. As Simon Sinek puts it, leadership isn't about being in charge, it's about taking care of those in your charge.

Speaker 2:

No-transcript. Step two use structured mentoring conversations. Every mentoring session should have a clear framework. Okay, here's just one of the ones I use. And, again, it depends on the level of leadership. Okay, but really simple.

Speaker 2:

The first, just a check-in and a connection. Okay, you're asking about the week. You're trying to build rapport, why, well, it builds trust. It's the foundation of mentoring, right? And then you're going to review their progress. Hey, what wins or challenges have you had since we last talked? Why? It fosters self-awareness Again, a cornerstone of leadership. And then development focus. Okay, ask targeted questions like what leadership skills feel like they're the strongest to you, which ones feel kind of shaky? Or tell me about a moment this week where you feel you could have led better. What would you change? Man? This really sharpens their thinking and focuses on their growth. I want you to set specific, actionable goals for the next time you meet. Okay, that clarity is what's going to drive progress.

Speaker 2:

And then step three I want you to provide real-time, honest feedback. Feedback is critical. Okay, craig Rochelle says. If you're not receiving honest feedback, craig Rochelle says, if you're not receiving honest feedback, you're probably not growing. And that's true. It needs to be immediate, it needs to be constructive and it should be focused on actions.

Speaker 2:

Here's a real-world example from my experience. A once coach and leader we'll call him Tom very talented but really struggled with delegation. He was a perfectionist, always stepping in to fixing some stuff himself instead of just trusting his team to do it. It was literally stifling their growth and his own bandwidth. In a one-on-one I gave him this feedback Tom, your team is capable, but they feel micromanaged. Your instinct is to control every detail and that's holding them back from owning their own work. Does that sound familiar this week? Pick one project, hand it off completely and resist checking in unless they asked for help. It was specific and actionable. He took it to heart and he let his team run a client presentation without his interference and was amazed when they nailed it. Within a month that team's morale and productivity spiked.

Speaker 2:

Okay, tom started seeing himself as a leader who empowered his team. He empowers them to do things they don't just execute. That feedback was a turning point. It shifted his mindset and unlocked his potential to lead at a higher level. All right, step four I want you to invest in their training.

Speaker 2:

Okay, leadership isn't intuitive for everyone. It is a skill that requires investment. Okay, my Michael Jordan, sales rep. He flopped because I didn't train him not learn my lesson? Okay. Formal training through books? He flopped because I didn't train him not learn my lesson Okay. Formal training through books, courses, hands-on practice that's what bridges the gap between potential and performance.

Speaker 2:

Here's some resources. I swear by Books. One of the great ones the Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lincione, game changer for understanding team dynamics and building trust. It is essential to core leadership skills. Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek, that one dives into just creating a culture where people feel safe and valued. You know every leader needs to master. You can go on LinkedIn, take some courses, leadership foundations. You can go on Coursera, take strategic leadership and management. It's a little more advanced ideal for leaders ready to kind of think big picture, tackle those complex challenges and then real-world practice Assign them a small project to lead, like running a team or running a team meeting, spearheading, low-stake initiatives. Make it a safe space to kind of flex their skills and learn from their mistakes.

Speaker 2:

I saw this work with Lisa. She was a rising leader that I had mentored. She was sharp but hesitant. She was unsure if she could handle a bigger role. I recommended the five dysfunctions of a team and had her lead a process okay, as a process improvement project, and she came back and was just blown away. She was like that book flipped a switch. I realized leadership isn't about being the loudest, it's about building trust. She applied those lessons, she grew her confidence and now she's a director, thriving in her role.

Speaker 2:

Okay, training isn't optional. It's how you turn potential into results. Isn't optional. It's how you turn potential into results. And then step five clarify expectations and offer support. Look, leadership isn't all glamour and if you've been leading for a while, you know that. Okay, it's a grind. It has big responsibilities, tough challenges. You need to be upfront about what they're signing up for. Show them that you've got your back, but make it real.

Speaker 2:

Here's some key areas I focus on. First is decision making. Leaders have to make calls that won't always make everyone happy. You just won't Like choosing between two strong project proposals or cutting a budget. I prepare them by saying you'll face tough choices with no perfect answer. We'll practice weighing pros and cons and owning the outcome.

Speaker 2:

Okay, number two conflict resolution. Some of you just kind of rolled your eyes. Look, teams clash. It's inevitable. Think of a sales rep arguing with a marketer over priorities. I tell them you'll need to mediate disagreements and keep people focused. Okay, let's role play a tough conversation so you're ready and then actually do that role, play that conversation. And then last is strategic thinking. Okay, leadership means balancing today's fires with tomorrow's vision, like hitting quotas while planning next year's growth. I'd say you'll learn to connect daily tasks to the big picture. I'll help you map out 90-day strategies to practice.

Speaker 2:

Mentoring prepares them by offering a safe space to wrestle with these challenges. Okay, regular check-ins, scenario planning, honest debriefs that's how they build their confidence to handle the real thing. They need to know what's coming, but they also need to know that you're in their corner. Let me kind of bring this to life. I think of Sarah. Okay, a mid-level manager and let's say you've pegged her as a future leader.

Speaker 2:

You sit down for a mentoring session. You're going to check in. You ask her about her recent vacation, make a genuine connection right and then review. She shares how she handled a team conflict last week. And then development. That's where you dig in. What did you learn about yourself there? How did your approach align with our values, confidence and conflict resolution? You ask what's holding you back from tackling it head on? Okay, you agree, she'll try facilitating a team discussion next week. Okay, and then just debrief it with you after that. Now Sarah's got clarity, she has a plan and your support to grow through a real challenge. All right, here's your challenge this week. I want you to pick one person on your team and schedule that first structured mentoring conversation. Okay, use the framework we've talked about. Check in, review, develop, act and commit to showing up for them consistently.

Speaker 2:

Why does this matter? Because leadership isn't about what you achieve alone. It's about who you lift up along the way. John Maxwell said a leader's lasting value is measured by succession, and he's right. Your legacy is the leaders you leave behind, but it's more than that. It's about investing in people who will carry the torch long after you've stepped aside. You're not just building skills, you're building a future. Take that step today and watch how it ripples To bring it all together.

Speaker 2:

Let me leave you with a quote from Maya Angelou. That said, I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. When you mentor intentionally, you're not just teaching tactics. You're showing someone they're worth your time, that their potential matters. That's the kind of leadership that sticks, that changes lives, that echoes for generations. So go out there, lead intentionally. Share, lead, intentionally, grow your leaders. Okay, that's what we're here to do. If there's any way I can help, please feel free to reach out. You can connect with me on LinkedIn. All that's in the show notes. If you'd like for me to work with you and your team I do team coaching keynotes, you name it. I'd love to connect with you there. Go to my website, nextstepadvisorscom. There's no E in next, just NXT nextstepadvisorscom. I'd love to work with you and your team. I hope you have a great day. Go out there, lead well. And you know why?

Speaker 1:

Because those are the things that leaders do. Thank you for listening to Things Leaders Do. If you're looking for more tips on how to be a better leader, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and listen to next week's episode. Until next time, keep working on being a better leader by doing the things that leaders do.