Are You a Doer or a Developer?

If you leave, who will take your place? If there’s a family emergency, who can fill in for you? Should job openings be filled externally or internally with a candidate who has been developed along the way?  

A related question: Are individuals who achieve great individual results great at developing others? Most know the answer is “not always.” It could be that things come more naturally to them, and they assume the same is true for others. Most organizations have great individual performers who don’t achieve success in a broader sense. They might have that “If you want something done right, do it yourself” mindset. The less they develop others, the more controlling and frustrated they become.

More questions: Is the best salesperson capable of leading sales? Does the best bedside nurse always make the best manager? Does the best manager make the best vice president? How about the vice president’s being a successful CEO? What about you? Are you more of a doer, or are you a developer? 

It can be confusing. All leaders were promoted because they were doers. They did not supervise people. While they needed others for success, their primary role was getting the job done. They had their own way of doing things, their own system, and they held themselves accountable. 

Moving from doer to developer means identifying strengths in others and helping them grow in skills. It means working with the team on best processes and systems. It means having the ability to set clear goals and connect actions to the why. In many ways, it means working to replace yourself.

Yes, it can be hard to look at yourself and take ownership for those you lead’s not achieving the needed outcomes. But leaders who can make that shift are the ones who leave something lasting behind. A quick method to assess yourself through a doer/developer lens:

1. Ask yourself: If I were to leave my job in the next month, are there obvious replacements?

2. Do this exercise. Make three columns. Column 1 is “Only I can do this.” Column 2 is “Others can do this if I provide skill development.” Column 3 is “Why am I doing this when others can do it with minor instruction?” Then list the tasks you do each week. There will be items in all three columns. This provides focus on what can be delegated. 

I hear at times, “The problem is I have no one to delegate to.” If you need to add a person, show your supervisor the better outcomes that could be achieved if you could focus on more important tasks. If you do lead others but still have no one to delegate to, this means you are a better doer than developer.

3. Invest in development, both time and money. With those who report to you, how much time is focused on development? When you look at a leader’s agenda, you should see time set aside for developing their direct reports.   

4. Take an N=1 approach. Check out Precision Leader DevelopmentTM here. It was created to individualize development to the person.  

Great leaders build organizations that outlast their role. Starting out as a doer is natural. Moving to be a developer is where the magic happens.

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Quint Studer is the author of 16 books on leadership in the workplace and the community. His book Building a Vibrant Community is a valuable resource for civic leaders, business owners, and all citizens who have a stake in building a community they can be proud to call home. In Sundays with Quint, he shares a selection of his popular leadership columns for leaders, employees, and business owners in all industries. He can be reached at Quint@QuintStuder.com.