The Simplest Way to Define Leadership and Lead Effectively

As a leader searching for a way to empower your team and drive impactful change, you understand that leadership goes beyond authority—it's about creating an environment where each person can thrive and become their best self. Ever since I was fifteen years old, I have been fascinated with the subject of leadership. Maybe it was because I grew up going to church every Sunday where we learned about how good leadership makes a positive impact on groups of people and how bad leadership literally meant the destruction of nations. Whatever the reason I have constantly found myself picking up leadership books through the years or listening to countless hours of YouTube videos about leadership and even spending thousands of dollars on coaches and trainers who taught me tactics on the topic.

After over a decade and a half in leadership I have found the simplest answer that has worked for me when asked, “what is leadership?” I believe leadership is the ability to create an environment that empowers people to become the best versions of themselves.

What I have seen is when the environment is right, people can accomplish incredible feats! The natural question that one can ask next is, “how can a leader create an environment that empowers people to become the best version of themselves?” To answer this question I use an acronym, TTD which stands for: Teach, Train, and Develop.

The first “T” stands for, Teach. A great leader is always introducing new information to their team like a teacher would to their students. These leaders have a passion for exposing their teams to new thoughts and ideas that stretch their minds to imagine new possibilities. The art here is that they can teach in a manner that is simple and practical. Most great teachers are master storytellers. They simplify complex ideas so their teams can quickly embrace them. Some of the best leaders I have had would use a variety of methods to assist us in learning which helped me because when I hear something and then see it that locks in the information for me.

The second “T” represents, Train. Leaders that take on the role of a coach as well as teacher thrive here. This is the time where the leader is showing their people how to do the work alongside them. They are giving immediate feedback as their people are learning how to put their new information into practice. This is where the conversation goes from the leader telling to showing. I recall my favorite basketball coach demonstrating the drills with us. There was a deeper level of connection the whole team had for him afterwards because he was willing literally show us. He did not act like he was too good to put the work in with us.

Finally, the “D” stands for Develop. The key here is for the leader to give a platform of autonomy so their people can have the opportunity to master their new skills. Said another way, the leader must give their people an opportunity to fail forward. My last boss trusted me to help run his family business and I did not have any experience in the industry. However, the skills and talents I did have he saw and gave me a platform to utilize them while I learned the industry which had a major impact on me personally and professionally. There were times when he didn’t one hundred percent agree with my decisions, but he held true to his word that he would give me the autonomy to make decisions and to live with the results. There were times when my decisions didn’t get the results I planned and other times the results were great. The point here is that it wasn’t about the results of the decision, it was the development that occurred because I was given the opportunity to grow and develop Development often occurs through ‘failing our way to success.’ Great leaders know that there is a sense of purpose that is derived from mastery, and they will not allow the short-term losses to get in the way of the long-term gain of their people which is them becoming the best version of themselves.

Leadership can be defined differently by lots of people, but I believe that when a leader creates the right environment for growth their people will produce amazing results that surpass what was even expected. I encourage you to consider the environment you are creating for your teams as the leader with or without a leadership title; with a bit of focus on ensuring you are: Teaching, Training, and Developing your teams you will experience transformation that is unmatched among your peers.