Leading with a Developmental Bias: The Four Essential Practices
"Average leaders raise the bar on themselves; good leaders raise the bar for others; great leaders inspire others to raise their own bar." — Orrin Woodward
"The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it." — Theodore Roosevelt
In our previous post, we introduced the concept of leading with a developmental bias and explored its benefits compared to the more common production bias. Today, we'll dive into the practical implementation of this approach, focusing on Terry Cook's four essential practices for developing others.
Practical Ways to Lead with a Developmental Bias
How do you shift from a predominantly production focus to a developmental bias? Based on Cook's Trusted Leader Model, here are key strategies:
1. Redefine Success
Begin by expanding your definition of leadership success beyond just production metrics to include development indicators:
Production Metrics:
Projects completed
Goals achieved
Revenue generated
Problems solved
Development Metrics:
New skills acquired
Increased responsibilities handled
Improved performance quality
Leadership capabilities demonstrated
Knowledge transferred to others
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." — Albert Einstein
Practical Action: For each major initiative or project, establish both production outcomes ("What will we accomplish?") and development outcomes ("How will we grow?").
2. Allocate Time Intentionally
Leading with a developmental bias requires deliberate time allocation. Many leaders spend 95% of their time on production and 5% (or less) on development. A developmental bias requires a significant shift in this ratio.
Practical Action: Analyze your calendar for the past month. What percentage of your time was spent on production vs. development? Set a goal to increase development time by at least 20% in the coming month.
3. Integrate Development into Workflow
Development doesn't always require separate activities. Look for ways to turn everyday work into development opportunities:
Assign stretch projects that build new capabilities
Create cross-functional experiences that broaden perspective
Delegate tasks that develop specific skills
Include reflection questions in regular meetings
Rotate leadership responsibilities within the team
Practical Action: Review upcoming work and identify three opportunities to integrate specific development goals into regular workflow.
"Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to." — Richard Branson
The Four Development Practices
Cook identifies four essential practices for development that create a comprehensive approach:
1. Discover
Take time to identify specific development needs and opportunities for each team member:
What capabilities does their role require?
What natural strengths could be further developed?
What growth areas would most benefit them and the organization?
What are they passionate about developing?
"Everyone has talent. What's rare is the courage to follow it to the dark places where it leads." — Erica Jong
Practical Action: Create an individual development profile for each team member that identifies 2-3 specific growth priorities.
2. Teach
Provide the knowledge and information needed for growth in identified areas:
Share relevant concepts, models, and principles
Recommend targeted resources (books, courses, articles)
Explain the "why" behind the "what" and "how"
Connect them with subject matter experts
Practical Action: For each development priority, identify specific knowledge gaps and create a customized learning path to address them.
3. Model
Create opportunities for observational learning:
Demonstrate the skills or behaviors you're trying to develop
Invite team members to observe you handling relevant situations
Connect them with others who model excellence in target areas
Discuss the thinking behind observed actions
"Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." — Albert Schweitzer
Practical Action: Identify upcoming situations where you can model key skills, and explicitly invite observation and discussion.
4. Coach
Provide ongoing feedback and guidance during practice:
Create safe opportunities to practice new skills
Offer specific, timely feedback on attempts
Ask reflective questions that deepen learning
Provide encouragement during the inevitable struggles
Practical Action: Schedule regular coaching conversations focused specifically on development priorities, not just work performance.
Creating Individualized Development
While these four practices provide a framework, effective development must be customized to each person. Cook emphasizes that development is not a one-size-fits-all proposition.
Understanding Individual Differences
People differ in:
Learning styles (how they best absorb new information)
Development pace (how quickly they integrate new capabilities)
Motivational drivers (what energizes their growth)
Starting points (current capabilities and experiences)
Growth potential (capacity for development in specific areas)
"The biggest mistake a leader can make is treating everyone the same way. People are different. They need to be led differently." — Marcus Buckingham
Effective developmental leaders customize their approach based on these differences, creating personalized growth experiences rather than standardized programs.
Implementing the Four Practices Together
The real power comes from integrating all four practices into a comprehensive development approach:
Start with Discovery: Before any development activity, invest time in understanding what each person needs to grow and what motivates their development.
Build on Teaching: Provide the knowledge foundation that enables meaningful growth in identified areas.
Enhance with Modeling: Show excellence in action to make abstract concepts concrete and achievable.
Sustain through Coaching: Create ongoing support that turns learning into lasting capability.
When these four practices work together, they create a development environment where people can grow significantly in their capabilities and contributions.
Moving Forward
The shift to a developmental bias isn't just about adding new activities to your leadership approach—it's about fundamentally reframing how you view your role and your people. Instead of seeing yourself primarily as a task manager, you become a people developer who achieves results through growth.
In our next post, we'll explore how to establish development plans and rhythms that sustain a developmental bias over time, and how this approach transforms leadership from transactional to transformational.
What has been your experience with these four development practices? Which do you find most challenging to implement?
For a full treatment of this topic see: Lead Develop Care by Terry Cook