If your people aren’t growing, your business isn’t either. Development isn’t a perk - it’s fuel. Build a system where personal growth, mentorship, and real ownership are baked into the job, not bolted on.
This chapter is from my new book, Catalyst Leadership. Get it at bookstores everywhere.
Start with Growth.
Fund it. Launch a Personal Growth Budget for every team member and make it dead simple to use. Courses, workshops, conferences, cross-functional projects inside the company - greenlight it. The message is loud and clear: we trust you to invest in yourself. That belief is contagious. Energy, loyalty, and creativity go up because people feel valued, not just paid.
Layer in Mentorship and Coaching.
Talent doesn’t bloom in a vacuum. Formalize mentor pairings with goals and check-ins. Keep it real - mentors share wins and scars. Train managers to coach with the GROW model: Goal, Reality, Options, Will. Coaching isn’t giving answers. It’s asking sharper questions that unlock better decisions.
Hand Over the Keys.
Autonomy without clarity is chaos, so set guardrails. Define the objective, constraints, and what great looks like. Then back off. Pair autonomy with accountability and your culture takes off. Use simple tools: a RACI for roles, a Decision Journal so people reflect on choices and results, and scheduled reviews to learn fast without blame.
Trust and Elevation are Multipliers.
Create monthly Trust Forums where people talk openly and leaders listen. Run Team Idea Jams that mix functions, levels, and backgrounds to attack real business problems. Different perspectives create productive friction - the kind that sparks innovation instead of politics.
Start Now.
Choose one person and hand them a meaningful project with a clear outcome. Share the why, set the guardrails, then get out of the way. Meet once to coach, not micromanage, and review the result together. Do this every week and you won’t just hit targets - you’ll build leaders who build the business.