5 Ways to Build a Team of Leaders (While Saving Yourself Some Work)

1. Promote cross-departmental teamwork

Do away with departmental boundaries by creating teams able to work in multiple fields to make the most of your employees' skill sets. When you create these groups, place certain people into leadership-like positions in order to promote their project management capabilities in smaller settings.

2. Give others authority

Letting employees make decisions, rather than simply dismissing them when offered, is actually a great way for people to begin tapping into their problem solving and analytical skills early on, practices that may serve particularly useful when transitioning into leadership roles.

3. Tell your staff about your process

One of the most intriguing parts of leadership is the mystery around it. Few people who aren't leaders actually know how important decisions get made, where the company is planning on going, and how products get decided from start to finish. Being free and transparent with your information shows employees the steps they'll have to take when they try to step in as leaders rather than leaving them blind.

4. Express your passion

When people training to become leaders see how much you care about a team, project, or organization, they're much more inclined to be passionate about the same things--especially if that means maintaining structure and efficient maintenance when they take on leadership.

5. Be clear about responsibilities

Setting clear roles for each person, as well as the tasks they're expected to do, aids in helping future leaders set those exact same roles. In some cases, it may even help them learn how to create new ones, a sometimes necessary step that accompanies a company's growth.