I thought the job of a leader was to be directive, i.e., to tell your staff what to do. I loved my staff. I wanted the very best for them. I wanted to do everything I could to help them win. My strategy for their development as leaders was for them to hang around me. I frequently said, “A lot more is caught than taught. If you just hang around me you will learn a lot!”

My strategy to help them succeed was by letting them benefit from everything I knew about climbing the mountain successfully. When they came to me with problems, I gave them step-by-step instructions on how to solve them.

When they came with ideas, I applauded. Then I’d share two or more things that added horsepower to their ideas.

When I asked them to take on a new project and they agreed to do it, I gave them step-by-step, how-to instructions.

And when one of my staff moved on, I would smile and think that person was walking away so impressed with my wisdom and so appreciative that I had provided the perfect road map to success. I was absolutely clueless to how my being overly helpful was actually making them feel.

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