Dear Madeleine,
I manage R&D for a large medical device company. I am at the tail end of my work life. I wanted to retire at the end of this year, but our executive team is encouraging me to stay until I feel comfortable that someone on my team can step into the role.
Right now, I am not seeing a likely replacement. The job requires a wide mix of skills and activities. Although I have shared development ideas with my direct reports, I don’t see anyone doing anything differently.
I just sense that no one really cares much about the job or has the ambition to do anything other than the bare minimum. How can I light a fire under these people?
Where Is the Spark?
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Dear Where Is the Spark?
It might be you, my friend. It sounds like you have made some suggestions that your folks may not quite know what to do with. And they may not know why they should bother.
Getting your people fired up to develop themselves for a senior leadership role requires you to intentionally and systematically tap into their dreams and aspirations, understand their identity—how they see themselves, and convince them of their agency—the extent to which they are empowered to go beyond where they think they can go. It’s up to you to create an environment where each of your people sees what’s possible, why it matters, and how they can grow into it.
Here are some ideas for how you might approach creating such an environment:
1. Share a Vision of What Leadership in Your Organization Can Be
You can do this with your entire team, in small doses.
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- Describe what great leadership looks like in your organization—not just in competencies, but in impact.
- Share examples of leaders in your company who are admired. Why are they effective?
- Talk about the difference leaders can make at a senior level. Tell stories. You might say something like: “Leadership here isn’t about position—it’s about shaping direction, driving culture, and building something bigger than yourself.”
The challenge with this idea is that you will also be held to the standards you talk about.
2. Spot and Call Out Potential
People rarely see leadership potential in themselves unless someone points it out.
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- Tell individuals specifically what strengths or behaviors you’ve seen in them that signal leadership potential.
- Make it personal and credible: “I see you as someone who could be a strategic leader here because you consistently…”
Don’t wait for them to ask. Plant a seed anytime you see something a person can build on.
3. Connect to Personal Purpose
Deep motivation comes from alignment with identity and values. Who is each team member, at their core? How do they see themselves? What matters most to them?
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- You might ask: “What kind of impact do you want to have?” or “What problems do you care most about solving?” or “What interests you most about what we do here?
- Once you get some answers, you can connect to ways that senior leadership might offer them a bigger lever to engage in activities that mean the most to them.
4. Share Responsibility
Growth accelerates when people feel responsible for something bigger than their job. Look at what you do daily and figure out what you can delegate. Start out small, and build.
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- Assign stretch responsibilities that align with senior leadership competencies, such as cross-functional work, strategy development, or mentoring others.
- Let them lead change, not just manage tasks.
- Frame it: “This is a great chance to build the skill set senior leaders need.”
5. Make Development Visible and Structured
If development feels fuzzy or unsupported, it can easily fall by the wayside—which is what has been happening for your people.
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- Build or recommend a clear pathway: rotational projects, leadership coaching, mentoring, strategic courses. Build on strengths or identify specific gaps they can work on.
- Use individual development plans (IDPs) tied to specific leadership competencies. If your organization already has these, use them. If it doesn’t, create the ones you think are most critical. Start with one or two and be careful not to overpower people with too much, too soon. The key is to start with low-hanging fruit. What is a small thing that might be possible and would make a big difference?
6. Celebrate Progress and Model the Way
People need to see development as a rewarding investment; otherwise, it just feels like extra work.
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- Acknowledge each person’s accomplishments and growth in public settings. This reinforces motivation and can inspire others in the group to rise as well.
- Share your own development journey, including struggles. This normalizes growth and makes leadership feel attainable. It would require you to be vulnerable, which could be uncomfortable. But it will humanize you and remind your people that you weren’t always the boss.
You will learn a lot about your people as you try some of these suggestions. The obstacles will become much clearer. You may uncover irrational fears that you can allay. You may find that some of your folks are already overwhelmed by their workload and don’t have the bandwidth to take on anything else. You may uncover some cynicism; e.g., you may hear that the organization is perceived as very political. Cynicism is data that can help you pinpoint assumptions about falsehoods that you can dispel, or about realities you hadn’t noticed or considered important. You can help everyone shift their mindset and support them in navigating obstacles.
This will be a lot more work for you—and, of course, for them. But if they know you care and are paying attention, I guarantee a few will rise to the top. And then you can retire!
Love, Madeleine
About Madeleine
Madeleine Homan Blanchard is a master certified coach, author, speaker, and cofounder of Blanchard Coaching Services as well as a key facilitator of Blanchard’s Leadership Coach Certification course. Madeleine’s Advice for the Well Intentioned Manager is a regular Saturday feature for a very select group: well intentioned managers. Leadership is hard—and the more you care, the harder it gets. Join us here each week for insight, resources, and conversation.
Got a question for Madeleine? Email Madeleine and look for your response soon. Please be advised that although she will do her best, Madeleine cannot respond to each letter personally. Letters will be edited for clarity and length.
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