Leaders who develop followers grow only additively. Leaders who develop leaders multiply their growth. Because for every leader they develop, they also gain all of that leader's followers. If they add ten followers to the organization, they gain the additional potential of 10 people. But if they add 10 leaders to the organization instead, they gain the potential of 10 leaders plus all of their followers. That is the difference between addition and multiplication.
Paul and explosive growth
Paul was a master of explosive growth. He devoted himself to the people and activities that change the world. His strategy is just as effective today as it was two thousand years ago. What did Paul do to foster explosive growth?
1. He attracted people and trained them.
Wherever Paul went, he gathered people around him and taught them. Paul would enter a city and begin teaching - for days, months, and sometimes years. No matter where he went, he continually equipped as many people as possible.
2. He discovered and mentored rising leaders.
Paul mentored too many leaders to list them all. Some of them, like Silas, came to him already possessing influence and leadership qualities (Acts 15:22). Others were homegrown, like Timothy (1 Timothy 1:2). But regardless of their background, Paul took them along as he worked, preached, and led. Then he let them go and gave them responsibility and authority.
3. He created new organizations for them.
Paul did not hoard the leaders he developed in one place. He raised up leaders to multiply and extend his influence. And he did this with a strategy - he planted churches. Wherever he traveled, he left behind a church led by leaders who would carry on the work.
4. He committed himself to the ongoing development of leaders.
Paul visited the leaders in his churches to stay in contact with them. He encouraged them and gave them direction. Paul's second missionary journey began with the following proposal: "Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do" (Acts 15:36).
A great vision can only be achieved through explosive growth. Anything else will leave the leader and the organization far short of their potential. To become a leader of explosive growth, not only their way of working must change, but also their way of thinking.
Leaders with followers vs. leaders with leaders
There are seven essential differences between leaders with followers and leaders who develop other leaders:
1. Leaders who gather followers want to be needed; leaders who develop leaders want to be successful.
Many who want to lead followers do so because followers stroke their ego. They feel indispensable. But leaders who develop leaders work to make themselves dispensable. They don't want a following, but a legacy that continues on.
2. Leaders who gather followers focus on people's weaknesses; leaders who develop leaders focus on their strengths.
Ineffective leaders focus on their people's weaknesses. Often because they don't understand how developing people actually works. Sometimes they do it out of insecurity as well. They need it for their ego. Strong leaders, on the other hand, focus on their people's strengths, because they know this is the key to developing people.
3. Leaders who gather followers focus on the bottom 20 percent; leaders who develop leaders focus on the top 20 percent.
Leaders of explosively growing organizations focus not only on the best in their leaders; they also focus on the best potential leaders. In contrast, leaders of followers devote their attention to the loudest and most difficult people, who take and take and give nothing back.
4. Leaders who gather followers treat everyone the same; leaders who develop leaders treat people as individuals.
When Paul went on his missionary journeys, he did not try to take everyone with him. Nor did he give everyone the same chance to lead the churches he had founded. He treated each person according to their gifts, their calling, and their readiness to grow.
5. Leaders who gather followers spend their time; leaders who develop leaders invest their time.
Wherever Paul went, he took companions with him. He regarded the time he spent with them as an investment. And when he saw no development - as in the case of John Mark (Acts 13:13) - Paul did not hesitate to be consistent and to stop investing in them (15:37-40). He viewed his work with rising leaders as an opportunity to invest in them.
6. Leaders who gather followers ask for little commitment; leaders who develop leaders ask for great commitment.
Following a leader requires a certain amount of commitment and loyalty. But that is nothing compared to the commitment and loyalty required when a potential leader is asked to lead others. When a leader asks a person to take on a leadership role, they should not take that request lightly. They should know what they are asking of that person. They should also familiarize the aspiring leader with the Law of Sacrifice, which comes with leading people.
7. Leaders who gather followers influence this generation; leaders who train leaders influence future generations.
People who lead followers only influence the people whose lives they personally touch. People who train and mentor leaders have a much greater reach.
It takes a good leader to gather a group of followers and lead them toward achieving a worthwhile goal. But only a great leader can mentor other leaders - and only such a leader can bring an organization to the highest level and achieve explosive growth.