Kermit Learns to Drive
Kermit is a teen in your family approaching the age of 16. Kermit is motivated to drive because they want the feeling of independence and freedom. However, Kermit does not know how to drive and without proper training and guidance, Kermit will create chaos should they get behind the wheel.
You provide Kermit with guidance, help, and practice time. In effect, you provide guardrails for Kermit to experience driving safely. As Kermit’s skills, confidence, and good judgment all grow, you will decrease the amount of guidance and soon you will believe that Kermit’s guardrails are not necessary. If Kermit makes a serious mistake, then you reapply the guardrails.
Once Kermit experiences the good feelings of driving, their mindset switches from “I want to drive” to “I am a driver.”
Kermit Learns to Lead
Kermit is an employee in your company who you know to be an influencer. Kermit is motivated to lead because they want to satisfy a powerful desire to have impact and influence. However, Kermit does not know how to lead and without proper training and guidance, Kermit will create chaos should they be placed in a leadership role.
You provide Kermit with guidance, help, and practice time. In effect, you provide guardrails for Kermit to experience leading safely. As Kermit’s skills, confidence, and good judgment all grow, you will decrease the amount of guidance and soon you will believe that Kermit’s guardrails are unnecessary. Should Kermit make a serious mistake, you reapply the guardrails.
Once Kermit experiences the good feeling of witnessing their positive impact, their mindset switches from “I want to influence” to “I am a leader.”
For this post and next week’s, I use Kermit as a Case Study on why nurturing future leaders is crucial to your organization’s long-term success.
I am frequently asked the question, “What motivates Kermit to want to become a leader?”
Answer: Kermit’s Aspirational Desire
The root of the ‘aspire’ is the Latin word ‘aspirae’ meaning to breathe.
Employees like Kermit has always aspired to have influence and impact. Every human has this desire, even though they do not recognize it. Kermit’s aspiration can turn into a motivation to accept those guardrails. Motivation is a desire or impetus to initiate and maintain a particular behavior and becomes the energy that drives a person to do something. For whatever reasons, Kermit has this drive to breathe the same air that other leaders do. We see this phenomenon in people driven to run for office.
Capitalize on Kermit’s Aspirations
Because of their aspirations, Kermit is the ideal employee for leadership development. However, you cannot promote Kermit into a leadership role and expect them to be successful, no more than you can expect Kermit to be a good driver in their first attempt.
Every organization has:
- Kermit managers supervisors, and even executives who create chaos which results in your company losing money, good employees, and customers!
These employees lack the feedback, training, and guidance that all leaders need. I suggest that you immediately provide them with experiential training, caring support, and ongoing coaching and mentoring, no matter how much tenure they have.
- Kermit employees who aspire to be put into a leadership role.
I suggest that you be purposeful in looking for them, recruiting them for a future leadership role, and then providing them with experiential training, caring support, and ongoing coaching and mentoring.
You will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly your Kermits become capable and competent leaders.
Ron Rael Leadership Provocateur, is a keynote speaker, consultant, and author.
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