Great Leaders Create Great Leaders: Your Success Is Measured by the Leaders You Develop

In a world obsessed with personal achievement and individual success, there’s a revolutionary principle that separates good leaders from great ones: Great leaders don’t just accomplish great things—they create other great leaders. Your ultimate success isn’t measured by the heights you reach, but by how many others you lift to reach even greater heights.

The Divine Blueprint for Leadership Multiplication

Paul understood this principle when he instructed Timothy: “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). This isn’t just advice about teaching—it’s a divine blueprint for leadership multiplication that creates an exponential impact across generations.

Notice the progression: Paul to Timothy, Timothy to faithful men, faithful men to others. One leader investing in another creates a multiplication effect that extends far beyond what any individual could accomplish alone. This is the leadership laboratory where raw potential is transformed into refined leadership.

Breaking Free from the Solo Success Mentality

Our culture celebrates the lone wolf, the self-made success, the individual who rises above the rest. But this mentality creates a leadership ceiling that limits both personal impact and organizational growth. When leaders focus solely on their own success, they create bottlenecks, dependencies, and ultimately, unsustainable systems.

The Cost of Leadership Hoarding

When leaders hoard knowledge, opportunities, and development:

• Organizations become dependent on one person
• Growth is limited to one person’s capacity
• Innovation stagnates without diverse perspectives
• Legacy dies when the leader leaves
• Potential remains untapped in others

The Four Pillars of the Leadership Laboratory

1. Potential Recognition

Great leaders see leadership potential in others before they see it in themselves. They look beyond current performance to future possibility. They recognize that leadership isn’t about titles or positions—it’s about influence, character, and the ability to serve others.

2. Intentional Investment

Developing leaders doesn’t happen by accident. It requires intentional investment of time, energy, and resources. Great leaders create systems, processes, and opportunities specifically designed to develop others.

3. Progressive Empowerment

Leadership development is a progressive journey. Great leaders gradually increase responsibility, authority, and autonomy as emerging leaders demonstrate readiness. They provide safety nets while encouraging bold steps.

4. Legacy Multiplication

The ultimate goal isn’t just to develop leaders—it’s to develop leaders who develop other leaders. This creates a multiplication effect that extends the leader’s impact far beyond their direct influence.

The Story of Marcus’s Leadership Transformation

Marcus was a successful department manager who prided himself on being indispensable. He handled all major decisions, solved every problem, and maintained tight control over his team. His department performed well, but growth was limited, and team members felt underutilized.

Everything changed when Marcus attended a leadership conference where he heard: “Your success is measured by the leaders you develop.” He realized that his need to be indispensable was actually making his organization dispensable in the marketplace.

Marcus began identifying high-potential team members and investing in their development. He started delegating meaningful responsibilities, providing mentorship, and creating opportunities for others to lead. Initially, it felt uncomfortable and risky.

Two years later, Marcus’s department had tripled in size and impact. More importantly, three of his team members had been promoted to leadership roles in other departments, and they were applying the same leadership development principles he had taught them.

Marcus discovered that his greatest achievement wasn’t what he accomplished—it was what others accomplished because of his investment in them.

Practical Steps to Activate the Leadership Laboratory

1. Identify Emerging Leaders

Look for people who demonstrate:

• Influence with others
• Initiative in solving problems
• Integrity in character
• Interest in growth
• Impact in their current role

2. Create Development Opportunities

• Assign stretch projects that require leadership
• Provide mentorship and coaching
• Offer training and educational resources
• Create cross-functional exposure
• Establish feedback and accountability systems

3. Practice Progressive Delegation

Start with low-risk, high-learning opportunities and gradually increase:

• Responsibility scope
• Decision-making authority
• Resource management
• Team leadership
• Strategic influence

4. Measure Leadership Multiplication

Track your success by:

• Number of people you’re actively developing
• Advancement of those you’ve mentored
• Leaders developed by those you’ve developed
• Organizational impact of your leadership pipeline
• Legacy continuation beyond your tenure

Overcoming Leadership Development Obstacles

When You Feel Threatened

Developing others can feel threatening to insecure leaders. Remember: Great leaders aren’t threatened by other great leaders—they’re energized by them. Your security comes from your contribution, not your position.

When Time Feels Limited

Leadership development requires time investment upfront but creates time multiplication long-term. Every leader you develop multiplies your capacity and extends your impact.

When Others Resist Development

Not everyone will embrace development opportunities. Focus on those who are hungry to grow while remaining open to others who may become ready later.

The Multiplication Effect of Leadership Development

When you commit to developing leaders, you create ripple effects that extend far beyond your immediate sphere:

• Organizational Impact: Better leadership at every level
• Cultural Transformation: Development becomes part of the DNA
• Innovation Acceleration: More leaders mean more diverse perspectives
• Succession Strength: Leadership pipeline ensures continuity
• Kingdom Advancement: Godly leaders influence every sphere of society

Living as a Leadership Developer

The leadership laboratory isn’t a program—it’s a lifestyle. It’s a commitment to seeing every interaction as an opportunity to develop someone. It’s choosing to measure success not by what you achieve, but by what others achieve because of your investment.

When you embrace this mindset, you:

• Look for potential in everyone
• Invest time in developing others
• Celebrate others’ successes as your own
• Create systems for ongoing development
• Build legacy through multiplication

The Promise of Leadership Legacy

Paul’s investment in Timothy didn’t just impact Timothy—it impacted everyone Timothy influenced, and everyone they influenced, creating a leadership legacy that continues today. Your investment in developing leaders creates the same exponential impact.

Every leader you develop becomes a multiplier of your influence. Every person they develop extends your legacy. Every generation they impact carries forward your investment.

Conclusion: Your Leadership Laboratory Moment

Right now, there are people in your sphere of influence with untapped leadership potential. They’re waiting for someone to see their potential, invest in their development, and create opportunities for their growth.

The question isn’t whether you have the ability to develop leaders—the question is whether you have the commitment to do so. Will you choose to be a leader who achieves great things, or a leader who creates other leaders who achieve great things?

Your success isn’t measured by the heights you reach—it’s measured by how many others you lift to reach even greater heights. Your legacy isn’t what you accomplish—it’s what others accomplish because of your investment in them.

Great leaders create great leaders. The leadership laboratory is open, the potential is present, and the opportunity is now.

Who will you develop today? What leader will emerge because of your investment? How will your leadership multiply through others?

The future of leadership depends not on what you achieve, but on the leaders you develop. Your laboratory awaits.

[Develop Leaders]