By Adeyinka Adeniran
Great leaders create opportunities for their team members to experience what leadership is about. They allow them to function in roles that expose them. They give tasks that bring out exceptional leadership skills and qualities in them. These leaders push their team members to become leaders. This is not about delegation for the sake of convenience, rather it is delegating for the sake of development. When Satya Nadella was still a division head at Microsoft, his boss at that time consistently pushed him to take on roles outside his comfort zone. Instead of keeping Nadella isolated in his technical expertise, his boss ensured that he gave him opportunities to understand business operations, customer relations, and strategic planning. These actions and events were genuine leadership laboratories where great leaders were formed
Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of General Electric, is an example of a leader who transformed not just a company but an entire generation of business leaders. Welch didn’t just run General Electric but he turned it into what many called a “CEO factory.” Under his leadership, GE developed more Fortune 500 CEOs than any other company. The actions he took included consistently creating stretch assignments, rotating high-potential employees through different divisions, and giving them real responsibilities. When Larry Bossidy took over Allied Signal, Jeff Immelt succeeded Welch at GE, and Dave Cote led Honeywell. These leaders weren’t just carrying GE experience; they were carrying leadership skills forged in the crucible of the opportunities that Welch deliberately created. When you don’t give opportunities to team members to function in higher roles even though it could be for a short period, you won’t allow them to develop their leadership skills.
Every aspiring leader must be prepared to move to the next level of leadership and that is shown by the way he allows his associates to function in his current role. At companies like Marriott and Hilton, in addition to the general managers running the hospitality property, they also actively groom their assistant managers by regularly stepping back and letting them handle everything from crisis management to board presentations. There is the story of a staff member of one of the luxury hotels whose regional director would deliberately schedule her vacations during peak season, forcing him to handle everything from celebrity guest complaints to staff union negotiations. “I thought she was being irresponsible,” he said, “but I realized later she was being strategic. She was creating situations where I had to rise to her level of thinking.”
This approach requires tremendous courage and a level of emotional security from leaders. When you give someone else the steering wheel, you’re taking a calculated risk with your own reputation. But here’s the paradox: leaders who hoard opportunities often find themselves stuck, while those who distribute them create upward momentum for everyone, including themselves. Throughout the tenure of Marc Benioff at Salesforce, he consistently elevated his direct reports to lead major initiatives, speak at conferences, and represent the company in high-stakes negotiations. When Parker Harris and Dave Moellenhoff were given the reins to lead product development and engineering respectively, Benioff didn’t only delegate tasks, but he also gave them the authority to make decisions that would shape the company’s future. This wasn’t just about developing his team; it was about demonstrating his own readiness for bigger challenges and bigger stages.
On the flip side, if your boss is giving you opportunities to exercise leadership, make the most of such opportunities and prove to him that you are capable. Never allow such moments to pass without making a loud statement about your readiness to move to the next level. Such opportunities come rarely. When Sheryl Sandberg was working under Larry Summers at the World Bank, she didn’t only complete the assignments he gave her, but also exceeded them in ways that demonstrated strategic thinking beyond her pay grade. When Summers asked her to prepare briefing materials for a meeting with finance ministers, she didn’t just compile data; she provided analysis, anticipated questions, and prepared contingency responses. This wasn’t about showing off; it was about showing readiness.
The same principle applies whether you’re a team lead covering for your manager during their absence or a department head representing your division at the executive committee. These moments are not rehearsals; they are auditions for your next role. The executive who treats a temporary assignment as “babysitting” will be seen as a babysitter. The one who treats it as a preview of their next chapter will be remembered when that next chapter is being written. Oprah Winfrey’s producers consistently gave her opportunities to move beyond just hosting to executive producing, then to content creation, and eventually to network ownership. Each role wasn’t just a promotion; it was preparation for the next level of responsibility and the next level of impact.
Lastly, leaders must remember that creating opportunities isn’t about throwing people into the deep end without preparation. It’s about progressive exposure to deeper waters with the safety net of the leader’s guidance and the confidence that comes from his belief in their potential. The goal isn’t to watch them swim; it’s to watch them learn to become lifeguards themselves.
Oluwole Dada is the General Manager at SecureID Limited, Africa’s largest smart card manufacturing plant in Lagos, Nigeria.
