Many people think leadership is about having authority, making decisions, or setting the direction for an organization. While those responsibilities are certainly important, I have come to believe that one of the most meaningful measures of leadership is something else entirely: the ability to develop other leaders.
Over more than four decades in business, I have had the opportunity to work with many talented people. One lesson has remained remarkably consistent throughout that time. The strongest organizations are built by leaders who invest in the growth and development of others.
A leader’s success should not be measured solely by personal accomplishments. It should also be measured by the number of capable, confident people who are better prepared to lead because of the opportunities, guidance, and trust they received along the way.
This requires a mindset that is sometimes overlooked in today’s business environment. It is easy for leaders to focus on immediate objectives, quarterly results, and daily challenges. Those priorities matter, but great leaders also think about the future. They understand that one of their responsibilities is preparing the next generation to take on greater responsibility.
Creating other leaders begins with trust. It means delegating meaningful responsibilities rather than holding every decision too closely. It means allowing talented people to take ownership of important projects and giving them the opportunity to learn through experience.
Leaders and middle management must be willing to hire exceptional talent and not be threatened by them. Hiring such people ensures that the organization is not dependent solely on one leader or a few people with great ideas and talent. To achieve this goal, leaders must hold themselves and those who report to them accountable for hiring the best and reward those who do.
Barry Diller, when he was Chair of Twentieth Century Fox and no doubt at every other organization he led, required at monthly meetings with top executives that they highlight people on their team who had done something well — the future leaders of the company. This made it imperative that they not take credit for all the work done by their team and made them recognize that their ability and willingness to hire great people was critical to upper management’s view of them.
Creating leaders also requires patience. Leadership skills are not developed overnight. Confidence grows through repetition, accountability, and the occasional setback. Some of the most valuable lessons come from mistakes, provided those mistakes become opportunities for learning and growth.
Equally important is the willingness to share knowledge and experience. Every leader accumulates lessons over the course of a career. Passing those lessons on is one of the most valuable investments a leader can make. Mentorship does not require formal programs or titles. Often it takes the form of a conversation, a piece of advice, or the willingness to help someone think through a difficult decision.
Organizations that consistently develop leaders tend to be more resilient, adaptable, and successful over the long term. They are less dependent on any single individual because leadership has become part of the culture itself.
Ultimately, leadership is about more than achieving results in the present. It is about building something that can continue to succeed in the future. The leaders who leave the greatest impact are often those who help others realize their own potential and prepare them to lead in turn.
That is how strong organizations endure, and it is how lasting legacies are built.
Elliott Broidy is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Broidy Capital Holdings, LLC, a private equity investment firm specializing in AI-driven public safety software. He is also the Co-Chair of the Fund to End Antisemitism, Extremism and Hate which supports the Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism and Radicalization (ARCHER) at House 88, an initiative of The Counter Extremism Project.