Of course, as a leadership coach I believe in leadership development. I believe in ongoing leadership development. Unfortunately, leaders often merely see themselves as Chief Learning Officers.

If you are comfortable right now with your situation and with yourself as a leader, then I predict nothing will change as a result of your having been a part of any kind of leadership development.

And if you think the people who report to you need leadership development and you do not, I predict this change: you will soon lose their respect. You may retain your leadership title, but you will have lost your chance to truly lead.

You are the leader. Everything else is a result of your leadership. This doesn’t preclude developing others any more than developing others precludes your continued need for learning and development. If you want to cultivate an environment and support work that enlists people as drivers of their own destiny and inventors of the company’s future, then lead by being the Chief Learner.

“Those who think they ‘know’ from the beginning will never, in fact, come to know anything.” – Thomas Merton