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783. Great Leaders Build Systems, Not Heroes · Daily Influence

• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to Daily Influence, your daily dose of positive influence.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm Brian Smith founder of IA Business Advisors and co-author of the Iain team series.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Each day we share stories and insights to help you find be and build your influence in a positive and responsible way.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm Greg Kleeneau, partner at IA Business Advisors, and co-host of Daily Influence.
• 0:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Be sure to follow, subscribe, and share Daily Influence with someone who could use a little extra positivity today.
• 0:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: And make us part of your daily routine, whether it's during your commute on a walk or an quiet moment just for you, because you're influenced matters.
• 0:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hey, everybody, Brian Smith here with Goying Team Series and you're Daily Influence.
• 0:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Today I'm going to talk about one of the greatest compliments we can give a leader, which he has to call him indispensable.
• 1:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: We admire a person who solves every problem, answers every question we can, seems to keep the entire organization moving forward.
• 1:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: But over time I've come to believe that being indispensable really isn't a goal.
• 1:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: In fact, if an organization cannot function without one person, then it hasn't built
• 1:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's built dependency and the strongest organizations don't rely on heroic individuals.
• 1:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: They rely on strong systems, share understanding, and disciplined management.
• 1:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And today I'd like to explore why great leaders don't build heroes.
• 1:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: They build organizations that can succeed because everyone knows how to contribute.
• 1:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Every growing organization reaches a point where one person simply can't make
• 1:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: every decision solved every problem or through every action.
• 1:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Our own company has gone through this, and I have seen literally hundreds and hundreds of companies have this problem.
• 2:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: In the early stages of a business, that may be necessary.
• 2:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Founders often wear every hat.
• 2:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: They know every customer,
• 2:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: fractious and every important decision still comes back to the owner.
• 2:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: The organization eventually slows down, or even stops.
• 2:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Good employees, they get waiting instead of leading.
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Opportunities are delayed.
• 2:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Innovation then begins to suffer.
• 2:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ironically, the stronger the leader becomes the more important it is that they stop being the center of everything.
• 2:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Leadership isn't
• 2:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: They later solve.
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's measured by how many problems your organization can solve without that individual leader.
• 2:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: That means you, when people hear the word system, they sometimes imagine bureaucracy or unnecessary rules.
• 3:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: But that's not what healthy systems are.
• 3:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Good systems provide clarity.
• 3:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: They establish expectations.
• 3:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: They create consistency.
• 3:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: most importantly, they give people the confidence to make good decisions because they understand how decisions are supposed to be made.
• 3:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: People are perform most simply because they're talented.
• 3:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: They perform them because they understand the purpose, the expectations, and the process.
• 3:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Systems reduce uncertainty and want uncertainty decreases, confidence grows, great leaders built other leaders.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: One of the greatest responsibilities of leadership has created an environment where others can lead.
• 3:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: That means transferring knowledge instead of protecting it, teaching judgment instead of controlling decisions, developing people instead of becoming indispensable.
• 3:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Every time a leader
• 3:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: They might also ask a second question, how can I help someone else solve this the next time?
• 4:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: That simple shift transforms leadership from managing today's work into building tomorrow's organization and building tomorrow's leaders.
• 4:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: The most influential leaders don't collect a story, they multiply capability.
• 4:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Eventually, every leader steps away.
• 4:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: whether it's for a vacation, retired from ocean, succession, or simply taking a day off.
• 4:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: The question isn't whether, Julie, the question is what remains when you do?
• 4:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Does the organization continue serving customers?
• 4:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, do managers make sound decisions?
• 4:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Does the culture remain healthy?
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Do people continue living the values and work so hard to establish?
• 4:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's the true measure of leadership and input.
• 4:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not how much depends on you, but how much continues because of what you've built.
• 5:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Look, leadership isn't about becoming a hero of every story.
• 5:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's about creating the system where ordinary people can consistently do extra ordinary work together.
• 5:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: But leaders focus only on solving today's problems.
• 5:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: They create dependence when leaders build systems, develop people and create shared understanding.
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: They create something much more valuable and organization that continues to grow a doubt in succeed long after one individual steps aside.
• 5:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's responsible for your trip.
• 5:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's lasting influence.
• 5:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: And ultimately, that's how great organizations are built.
• 5:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Until next time, remember, find your influence, be in the influence and build your influence.
• 5:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks for listening.
• 5:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Talk to you soon.