LEADERSHIP
LETTING EMPLOYEES
GROW WITH YOU AS
THE CEO
By Dr. Kellen Kiambati
A
few notable successes have
been made in the industrial
world through what is known
as the “one man organization.” But
I believe that in the great majority
of cases it is the men you choose as
subordinates who make your success.
Select your men carefully and at
the right time, then give them free
reign within well-defined limits.
This attitude toward employees I
believe underlies the success of a large
number of big businesses.
Many a hundred-dollar man remains
a fifteen-dollar subordinate because
he is not given any latitude and is not
allowed to develop.
The head of a concern may have an
employee off in one corner of the
office who is in reality his superior
in ability if only he were allowed to
show it - if he were only given carte
blanche to take the initiative. Let your
employees grow up with you.
Having selected an employee, give
him a chance and a thorough trial and
ascertain what he can do and just what
his limits are. It is only through this
way that it be determined whether he
is a fit employee or not. Give him a
wide latitude and discretion over little
things and observe the results over a
considerable period of time.
Mistakes help people grow. Men
learn only by the mistakes they make.
An employer should expect and
indeed encourage his men to take the
‘‘Having selected an employee, give him a
chance and a thorough trial and ascertain
what he can do and just what his limits are. It
is only through this way that it be determined
whether he is a fit employee or not. Give
him a wide latitude and discretion over
little things and observe the results over a
considerable period of time.’’
26 MAL 11/16 ISSUE
initiative and go on ahead and make
mistakes. Only in this way can they
gain the requisite experience to help in
real company growth.
This method of handling employees
may be expensive in its early stages,
but it is the only proper schooling for
a position. No man can learn to be a
“crack shot” unless he wastes some
ammunition. The employer should
stand the expense of the experiments
made by a new man who shows
ability; it will pay in the long run.
If mistakes continue and positive
results do not come the man must go.
But, on the other hand, if after trial of
this kind a man’s caliber is determined,
then the time for promotion and
increase of salary is at hand.
The great advantage of this method
is that it inspires in the employee
confidence in himself, without which
he can make no success for himself or
for his firm. It cultivates the quality
of initiative, which in turn means
business creation and profits for the
firm.
Allow empowerment and selfmastery. The surest way to gain the
unswerving loyalty of employees is to
show them from the start that they
will be allowed to make the most of