A Direct Line Blog

Are your leaders really leaders? Sure, leadership involves some technical skills and relevant know-how. But more importantly, it involves people. That’s really the purview of leaders – motivating and mentoring people.

In The Mentor Leader, Tony Dungy outlines a relational form of leadership designed to build great organizations. Dungy was an NFL defensive back before becoming a head coach for 13 seasons. He transformed both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Indianapolis Colts into winning teams, eventually leading the Colts to a Super Bowl victory.

That’s to say, he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to forming triumphant teams.

• Engage – A leader can’t be aloof. You need to connect with team members. Get to know them as people, and you will better understand them as workers. Not to mention, they are more likely to have passion for a workplace where they feel understood.

• Educate – If someone doesn’t have the necessary skills for the job, teach them! Let them shadow you. Provide access to professional development (such as conferences, training programs, etc.). Many people are willing to learn, but they won’t know what they are supposed to understand without some direction.

• Equip – People don’t succeed in a vacuum. They require the right environment to succeed. As a leader, you must provide a clear vision and behaviors that characterize your organization. What standards will the team have to live up to? Additionally, you need to provide practical tools (where possible). For example, a marketing person may never drive the results you want without your willingness to invest in a new email automation system.

• Encourage – Encouragement helps people in tough moments. Sounds simple. And it is. But it’s also startlingly easy to resort to judgment or negative comments when someone struggles. Your words are vitally important. Team members take your words to heart, so give them an aspirational identity by encouraging them.

• Empower – This is where the “mentor” part really matters. You are building other leaders. The mentor leader doesn’t micromanage; they develop people and then empower them with leadership responsibilities. Keep in mind: you already walked through the first four “Es” with these individuals. This is the next step…giving them the freedom to experiment, fail and succeed on their own.

• Energize – Energize is different than encouragement. Whereas you encourage someone to get them through struggles, you energize someone to light a fire of passion and commitment. A mentor leader needs more than a paycheck. So, you must galvanize the new leaders you’re building to believe in a purpose.

• Elevate – Finally, you elevate those team members who are ready for that next step. They become full-time mentor leaders themselves, ready to form more in the line of succession. Maybe they even surpass your own leadership abilities…the ultimate testament to your great work as a mentor.