I’m somewhat ashamed to admit it but for the first few months after taking responsibility for the behavior-based safety process, I failed miserably in displaying patience with a few of the members of the steering committee who were volunteering their support. By that time, I had been reading and listening to everything I could get my hands on from John Maxwell for more than a year. I remember hearing John tell a story early on about how he expected everyone on his team to not just come to him with problems, but to be prepared with at least three solutions to any problem they brought up. Before I share how poorly I implemented that idea, please know that he provided quite a bit more context. I’ve always been a bit intense so I only latched onto a small part of his message.

Our steering committee met bi-weekly, typically on Thursday afternoons just before shift change to minimize the impact on the hourly team members’ schedule. A second shift steering committee member showed up at one of the meetings visibly frustrated and said, “I’ve got a problem.” I proceeded to channel the best version of John Maxwell I was capable of at the time and responded by compassionately saying, “Any idiot can point out a problem. I don’t want to hear about it unless you have ideas for how we can solve it.” As you can imagine, the rest of the group needed to pick their chins off the table. Rather than diffusing that team member’s frustration, I had added to it. The good news was that they were no longer mad at the initial issue; the bad news was that they were now even madder at me…

We worked through the meeting agenda with a lingering tension in the room. Afterward, Terry took advantage of a mentoring opportunity by explaining that while I may have been attempting to fix someone’s dog, my message could have easily lost a customer (he just didn’t say it quite like that). I immediately circled back with the second shift committee member to apologize directly. I also apologized to the entire committee at the beginning of our next meeting. Thankfully, instances like that were few and far between. With guidance from Terry, Kevin, and Rod, I gradually got better at sharing even the toughest messages. 

By the time I was traveling heavily, it became absolutely crucial for me to be able to pass those lessons on to the team members who were willing to help me out; that’s where I first saw the importance of and the value from fostering a mentorship culture. Since the handful steering committee members who agreed to help with various tasks while I traveled to other plants were all being great at their regular jobs but having very little experience in what they were doing for me initially, the first hurdle was getting each of them spun up on the how-to’s each the tasks they were taking on and to help them develop a clear picture of the goal I needed them to achieve. I had jumped into most of those things feet-first and figured them out as I went; you’re stunned, I’m sure… I certainly made mistakes along the way but those served as examples of what not to do again. In mentoring each of those team members, I had to keep in mind that they didn’t have the same experiences coming in so I couldn’t expect them to immediately perform the same way I performed. Assuming you remember how much of a challenge patience is for me, you can imagine the amount of energy this required. Over time, with a lot of grace from each of those steering team members and support from Terry, Kevin, and Rod, they all became very effective in the respective tasks they had taken on. 

While they weren’t necessarily doing things exactly as I had, they were getting the results we needed - and in some cases even better than I had on my own. (We may just pull a lesson from that later on, too.) Further, having a team of folks engaging in developing each aspect of our process quickly built momentum that I never could have by trying to do everything myself - even if I had been in the building every day. Those relationships within that mentorship-focused team drove results and a level of influence (read: leadership) with everyone around us that went beyond any individual effort. That mentorship culture elevated the leadership ability and effectiveness across the whole team and it helped each of us grow through one another’s success.

Having so many empowered team members taking initiative certainly contributed to the process being so effective, but it also put a spotlight on people who may have never been noticed otherwise. So many of the folks involved in that process had tremendous potential that wasn’t utilized in their normal roles and this gave them a chance to put it into practice. At the risk of missing a few, I’ll point out a couple now who I’ve kept in close contact with, or at least maintained tabs on, through the years since.

Jake’s primary role was welding when he got involved in the behavior-based safety process. As he got more involved, he became essential in the training process - both in a classroom setting with new observers and in helping even the experienced observers become more effective in providing feedback. Over time, the management team realized that Jake might be able to do the same thing with new welders; and he did! Jake was a decent welder but he was great at training welders, many of which became better welders than him. He continued to take on new roles in that company but was capped because he didn’t have a degree. I remember where I sat when he called me for input a few years ago. He had been offered a supervisory position in a new industry. I suggested he jump at it, and he’s continued to excel ever since.

Mike’s job was bending pipe when he went through the observer training. He joined the steering committee soon after and had an immediate impact. Not long after that, he bid on an assembly line lead position in a department where he had no experience. It just so happened that no one else applied so he got the job. That was a steep hill to climb but he never dropped the ball on what he committed to in the behavior-based safety process. He actually succeeded me in facilitating the process when I moved into human resources full time, and achieved things in that role I never did. He’s now in a key safety role with a large pharmaceutical company.

Steven had always put up great numbers in his home department but had been shunned several times when applying for open lead positions in that same department. That pissed me off every time because I saw how much value he added to everyone he interacted with through the behavior-based safety process. Not long after I left the company, he accepted a position managing two auto repair shops. Soon after, he and his wife purchased both and built great teams in each shop. While the decision-makers overseeing manufacturing operations didn’t think he had potential to lead, I was certain he did. Just a few years after purchasing the businesses, he was named “Business Person of the Year” by his local Chamber of Commerce. Make no mistake, I was very intentional in making sure his former operations manager was aware of the potential he let slip through his fingers…

I could go on with at least a half a dozen more stories like this but I’m guessing you get the point. Please understand, though, I’m not attempting to take credit for anything they’ve achieved. I do, however, believe from the bottom of my heart that fostering a mentorship culture made at least a small difference for each of them. And I can assure you that I was able to learn and grow by watching the successes they each had along the way. I’m confident that they’ve each actively mentored many others in the more than a decade since. While they all knew Terry, Kevin, and Rod, they had far less interaction with them than I did - with the exception of Mike with Kevin, since they worked together for several years. I’m guessing that each of them attribute certain things they learned along the way to me, just like their teams will attribute those things to them. The reality is that I learned much of what I passed on from the mentors in my life, and they likely learned those things from their mentors. With that in mind, let’s wrap this up by looking at the power and the importance of creating a leadership legacy through mentoring.

Creating a Leadership Legacy

Creating a leadership legacy may seem lofty or unrealistic at first glance but I can assure you it’s not. Since leaving my role in manufacturing in late 2014, I’ve spoken with dozens of long-term employees (many of whom had since retired) who credited Kevin Arnold for his effort in providing them with a progressively safer workplace throughout their careers. I’ve also had conversations with numerous former coworkers who have shared similar praise for the impact Terry and Rod had with them. If we were having this conversation in person, I could go on for as long as you’d listen, sharing how I was able to help the teams I’ve worked with since because of the mentorship each of them provided for me. I’d like to think that at least a few of the folks I’ve attempted to pass some of that along to over the years would echo a bit of that about me, and I’ve already been fortunate enough to witness the difference folks like Jake, Mike, and Steven have made with team members they’ve started mentoring.

I’ve definitely had the privilege of growing through others’ success, both those who mentored me as well as some I’ve had the chance to mentor since. In complete transparency, I feel a heavy obligation to do all I can every single day to provide anyone who will listen with as much of what I’ve learned from my mentors as I possibly can. Many have invested into me far more than I’ve felt like I deserved so I see it as a duty to pay it forward. Whether I’m correct in thinking this way or not, I never want to risk causing someone to miss fulfilling their potential because I didn’t do as much as I’m capable of to share the lessons I’ve been blessed to learn.

For a few years while serving on the President’s Advisory Council for Maxwell Leadership, Cindy and I were part of a small group responsible for interviewing nominees and selecting the annual (at the time) John C. Maxwell Transformational Leadership Award recipient. As amazing as some of those nominees were, my biggest take-away from being involved was that leadership transformation isn’t something reserved for a select few. Anyone willing to engage in the process of actively mentoring others can be transformational. 

Just like the work Kevin did to create a safer work environment still benefits people in the facility he worked at years after he retired, as well as in the places the folks he mentored have worked since, the work you and I do in developing others creates a leadership legacy that outlasts any of our individual achievements. The relationships I’ve been blessed to have with so many great mentors have played a crucial role in unlocking my leadership potential. Intentionally working to pass that on is what creates the lasting legacy. My challenge for you is to commit to mentoring at least one (more) person within the next 30 days. As my friend Mark says, you’ll never know this side of Heaven how much impact you’re making. But don’t ever let it go to your head. Humility is key and we’ll work through some of the best examples I’ve ever seen soon.