If you asked every person on your team whether you've personally helped them grow over the last six months, what percentage would say yes? Unfortunately, it might be fewer than you think, with the average landing somewhere around the 27% mark.

Shocking, we know, but the issue is that managing someone's performance and developing their capability are two different things, and most leaders only do the first one. This article covers the difference between the two, and the frameworks that help you close the gap.

And before we start, we know you’re still reeling from that 27% stat. So, take a minute, get over it, and let’s get started on increasing that percentage.

What Does People Development Mean?

People development is the intentional, regular work of growing the capabilities of people in your team. As opposed to performance management, it’s about developing those who’ll do more tomorrow rather than simply tracking what they did today.

This is important because nothing happens in business without people. And we mean nothing. Behind every tool, system, algorithm, and process, there's a real person designing it, applying it, or explaining why it should work.

Leadership and people development are inseparable for this reason, because your results are only ever as good as the people producing them.

Now, onto an uncomfortable sounding truth.

You're the Smallest Doll

David Ogilvy, the man who revolutionized advertising, had an unusual tradition at Ogilvy & Mather. Every new executive arrived to find a Russian nesting doll on their desk, with a note asking them to keep it there until David next passed through the office.

Most assumed the big doll represented them, the leader, with their team nested inside. However, when Ogilvy eventually explained it, the message was: "You're not the big doll; you're the smallest one. Your job isn't to make smaller versions of you, it's to make all of your people bigger than you are."

And this is people first leadership summed up in a single wooden ornament. Your job isn't to replicate yourself, it's to grow people until they're bigger, better, and brighter than you.

Which raises the obvious question of how.

How To Develop People: Four Hats to Wear

When it comes to people development, you need to get comfortable switching between four core roles. The one you switch to will depend on the person, the moment, and the need.

1. The Coach 

The Coach asks the questions that get people thinking. They’re also the ones who up a mirror to others so they can reflect on their actions. The Coach also excels in providing guided discovery that builds purpose and motivation with team members.

2. The Mentor 

The Mentor has been there before and seen a thing or two in their time. They use their vast experience and wisdom to help someone zoom out from the day-to-day and focus on their long-term growth and potential.

3. The Manager 

The Manager is the one who brings the clarity. They set the standards, draw the map, and create alignment between what the business needs and what people need to deliver.

4. The Trainer 

The Trainer is the expert in the thick of it all, and the one that rolls up their sleeves and teaches the skills. This training builds mastery within your teams.

The biggest mistake leaders make is using the same approach with everyone. Your A-player doesn't need training on basics, for example, they need coaching on complex challenges. And your new hire doesn't need mentoring on their 10-year plan, they need to know how to do their job. And maybe where the bathroom is.

Because one size fits no one in the people development game, so build an individual person development approach for everyone, instead.

Now, where did we put our Loving Boot?

The Loving Boot

Whichever hat you're wearing, people development is a balancing act between challenge and support. You need both, in generous measure, and the Support-Challenge Matrix maps what happens otherwise.

Let us expand.

• Low challenge and low support breeds apathy, which means no energy, no urgency, and a slow slide into disengagement.
• High support without challenge lands people in The Cozy Club. Here, they're comfortable, cardigan-wrapped, and doing no growth whatsoever.
• High challenge without support creates stress and burnout, and before long, you get emails that start with "After careful consideration...". And we all know where that goes.

The place to aim for is The Loving Boot, which is high challenge and high support. Standards are high, but so is the trust, so people feel stretched but never strained. The motto becomes “we do hard things here, but we do them together.” Which means that everyone is willing to go the extra mile, even the leaders. This encourages buy-in from everyone.

Who’s in for Ice Cream?

We all have different motivators, just like we all have different favorite ice cream flavors.

Some people want mastery, for example, while some want autonomy. Others want recognition, and yes, some want money (although it's rarely just about money). There are 12 levers of motivation in total, and if you've ever wondered how to motivate people properly, find out which levers move each person on your team.

And the best way to find out? Ask what gets them most excited about work, and watch what energizes them and what drains them. You should also note what they volunteer for. Then, it’s a case of connecting their personal goals to your business goals. From here, you can simply stand back and watch them fly.

Because you can't motivate people with the wrong flavor of ice cream, no matter how generous the serving. So, get that right and watch those tastebuds of progress tingle.

Final Thoughts

People development is a daily priority and a non-negotiable pursuit. The leaders who treat it like this build teams that handle more, own more, and grow the business faster than any amount of performance management ever could.

Our advice is to wear the right hat, bring out the Loving Boot, and serve the right flavor ice cream to the right people. Your people will thank you and results will follow.

Find Out More

Want to know exactly where to focus first? Explore the Leadership Insights Scorecard to discover which of your Five Levers of Leadership needs the most attention. Alternatively, explore our Leadership Leverage Profile and unlock the complete collection of all five.