5 Truths To Understand When Leading Other Leaders

When people talk about leadership, the conversation usually turns to how to lead “doers.” These are the people who are there to do a job. They signed up to volunteer in your ministry. You hired them for a specific role. They’re on your team, and they carry out tasks.

Sooner or later, though, you’ll need to lead other leaders. That’s different. Leaders expect you to interact with them differently, and if you miss that, you’ll lose them. Here are five truths I’ve learned about leading leaders.

1. Leaders need resources. That means money, equipment, and people. Nothing frustrates a leader faster than being fired up with a compelling vision and then given nothing to accomplish it. Leaders are goal-driven. Without resources, you’ve made it impossible for them to finish.

Ask yourself: What does this leader need that I haven’t given them yet?

2. Leaders need the vision. Leaders are usually good at casting vision, but when you lead them, they have to understand and buy into yours. Then they can inspire their own teams, in line with yours. Asking someone to lead something without connecting it to the bigger picture feels like busy work. It can burn out that leader and everyone they lead.

Ask yourself: Could this leader explain where we’re going and why, in their own words?

3. Leaders need space. Micromanagement doesn’t work on leaders. Give them the vision and the goal, then get out of the way. If you keep looking over their shoulder, they’ll start to wonder why you need them at all. When I’ve given the leaders I lead room to run, they’ve come up with ideas I never would have and reached the goal faster and more creatively than I could have myself.

Ask yourself: Where am I stepping in when I should be stepping back?

4. Leaders need freedom. They need the vision, but not every step along the way. Leaders have to lead from their own strengths, experience, and preferences, and those are probably different from yours. Give them freedom to decide, to be creative, and to make mistakes. Freedom leads to better outcomes and better leaders.

Ask yourself: Am I asking for my way, or for the result?

5. Leaders need feedback. Space doesn’t mean you disappear. Good leaders want to know what they’re doing well and what they could do better, and they want to hear it from you. They also need to know they’re on track. A leader who gets no feedback starts to wonder whether progress is being made and whether they’re valued.

Ask yourself: When did I last tell this leader, specifically, what they’re doing well?

Leading anyone is hard. Leading leaders comes with its own rules. If you miss these truths, you may struggle to keep good leaders and reach the goals you have for your work, your ministry, and your family.

So are you a leader of leaders? Which of these five truths is hardest for you, and which one are you best at? Leave a comment below and let me know.