It’s time to build leaders!

Over the last few months, we have successfully laid out the three big rocks that would allow Lacie and Austin Ilsley to eliminate some bottlenecks, create accountability … and ideally, head out for a vacation in just a few short weeks. To recap:

Rock 1: Job Descriptions & Position Visions

Rock 2: Leadership Training

Rock 3: Family Business & Family Boundaries

We dove into the First Rock last month focusing on Job Descriptions and Position Visions to help create a defined understanding of roles, responsibility awareness and accountability among the team. This month we will dive into Rock 2: Implementing a Leadership Training Program.

The Why

With a top heavy,  bottom heavy team dynamic, there becomes a major gap in creating new leaders within the organizational chart and building a rock solid team. Once people have the foundational systems and hard skills of the actual “doing of the work,” it’s our job to provide them with a path of growth, one that takes them to the next level. This next level will often include more levels of responsibility, of both work and people and if we don't give them the tools they need to succeed, we’re ultimately going to set them up for failure.

As employees grow in their roles and advance into higher positions, their professional success is no longer determined by their ability to do quality work, it's determined by their ability to lead and win people. Keep in mind this also changes the organizational chart - we are filling the boxes and expanding responsibilities and roles.

This Rock highlights the primary focus on getting Ai’s current Apprentices and Job Leaders trained to see the potential of a career path and take on more responsibility.  It’s also the perfect opportunity to start coaching the team to learn how to solve problems and delegate. Leading up to this point, Austin has been in charge of many tasks that could be delegated to these future leaders - from handling communication with the client, scheduling walk throughs, ordering materials, getting the check, handling issues (both minor and more involved) and organization with their teammates. Going right in hand with the position vision task from the last rock, we are using Leadership Training to empower our team to solve problems, take on responsibility and make decisions on their own.

The Background

By way of natural style, Austin was assisting in the “hand-holding,” always being there to save the day when a problem arose or when a decision needed to be made. Over the course of this process in working with Colin, Austin and Lacie knew that a focus Leadership Training was important, but had not yet taken the time to implement and really make it a priority. 

In the process of discovery, they realized that the first issue to conquer with their team was instilling confidence, the confidence to solve problems and make decisions.

Recognizing that the team needed the support, confidence and training to effectively lead, they also knew it was key to bringing more energy, motivation and increased productivity. Not only are we looking at growing individuals and diffusing the responsibility among a larger group of people, we’re simultaneously creating a company culture that rides on development of people and will aid us in recruiting and retaining the best employees. Everything rises and falls on leadership. If you can create an organization that constantly encourages leadership growth, you’re on your way to creating a well oiled machine of leaders creating more leaders! 

For Austin, Lacie and the Ai Painting Plus team, - they saw the vision of what more qualified and capable leaders in their company could do, where it could take the company in the future. As they continue to grow, one of their primary goals over the next few years is to establish more leaders, hence why Leadership Training is an established Rock in our Core Planning! 

The Goal Here: To create a leadership culture of diversity, inclusivity and opportunity! With more leaders in the business, there is a shared problem solving mentality! We're creating an environment where people will find a career path and inspire others to follow. 

In Partnership with:

Sponsored by: 

Graco - Arroworthy - FrogTape