There are three types of individuals. When I first attended U.S. Army Boot Camp at Fort Sill, Oklahoma as a Private in 2000, the drill sergeants drilled it in us that there are three types of individuals: 1. those that make things happen, 2. those that watch things happen, and 3. those that wondered what just happened. I’ll leave out the expletives, but you get the just. Seth Godin argues that there is the frightened, clueless or uniformed. I don’t buy that everyone is not cut out for leadership. Nor do I buy the argument that everyone can’t make things happen. The thing is I think it has more to do with observation, training and coaching than anything else. Try it sometime. Observe others and listen to what their challenges are. Listen intently to the roots of the problem. Jump into the conversation, make it kinetic, and act as if no one is watching or who gets the credit (this can be challenging). Bounce ideas, and if possible train and prepare them on their challenges. Don’t just tell them how to do it. Show them how to do it. Invest your time if you believe you can make a difference, if you believe your expertise will help solve the outlined problems. And, along the way coach your mentee as if your entire team depended on it.
David Molina is the Founder and CEO of BilingualHire, a consumer internet service focused on advancing the careers of bilingual [Spanish+ English] talent. You can also visit and connect with him at Twitter, Facebook, and/or Posterous.
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