November 2025 | 7 Nurturing Talent: How to Create Future Business Leaders Within Your Team By Kevin Gaskell Standing on the deck of a rowing boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, with 4 other guys and 3,000 miles of ocean still ahead of us, I was reminded of the truth that a successful result is never achieved by one leader alone. Success comes when every person in the team is empowered to lead. Whether rowing across an ocean, or building a successful organisation, you cannot afford to have passengers. You need team members who can step up, take responsibility, and make decisions under pressure. And that doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when leaders deliberately set out to nurture more leaders. I’ve built my approach to developing future leaders on three simple principles: Commit, Connect, Create. Commit Leadership begins with commitment. On the ocean, we committed to reaching the other side safely and in record time, no matter how high the waves or how blistered the hands. In business, the same principle applies, and the entire team must be committed to achieving the goal. Business goals must not be just financial targets. People become leaders when they see their work as part of something bigger. They must understand the “why” behind the mission, believe in the goal and feel that their effort makes a difference. Commitment is not only about words on a strategy document, but also about giving people the space to own their role. That means giving authority, and with it, accountability. Too many managers cling to authority whereas real leaders give it away. They allow others to make decisions, to succeed, to stumble, and to learn. With properly delegated authority comes accountability, not as punishment, but as challenge and opportunity for personal growth. Connect Leadership is not a solo act. It’s a team sport. When I have led teams to turn around failing companies, we didn’t succeed because I had the answers. We succeeded because we listened to each other. We built a connection with the people who knew the business best – the team on the ground who knew where the weaknesses and opportunities lay within the business. In turn the team and their ideas for improvement were connected to the plan for success and they could each see where they were making a difference. Great leaders look for moments of initiative, creativity, and courage – and celebrate them. That recognition builds confidence. It tells people: you can lead too. Connection also means trust and transparency. For individuals to step forward as leaders, they must feel trusted. They must see that information is shared openly, decisions are explained honestly, and their voice matters. Transparency removes fear. Trust builds courage and creates a culture where people lean into responsibility rather than hide from it. Create I don’t believe that there is such a thing as an innovative company, only innovative people working together. The role of a leader is not to be a genius, but to create genius. That means aligning everyone’s bit of genius in an environment where ideas are welcomed, experimentation encouraged, and small failures treated as part of learning. Future leaders emerge when people feel bold enough to contribute their ideas and safe enough to test them. If they know their voice will be heard, they will begin to think and act like leaders because they realise, they have influence. Authority with accountability The combination of authority with accountability is a catalyst of leadership development. If you hold authority too tightly, your team will never learn to lead. If you give authority without accountability, you invite confusion. But when you put the two together, you ignite excitement and growth. People step up when they know they own the decision and that they are supported in making it. Transferring accountability means also transferring credit. A key part of leadership is ensuring that team members are recognised and their contribution celebrated. Trust, transparency, and courage When we rowed the Atlantic, there was no hiding. Every stroke, every decision, every ounce of energy mattered. Trust was not optional, it was survival. Business is no different. If you want your team to lead, trust them. Share the truth. Be transparent about where you’re going and what challenges lie ahead. When people are trusted with the truth, they repay it with effort, courage, and leadership. Building the leaders of tomorrow I believe that leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about being the person who creates the conditions where others can shine. It’s not about creating followers. It’s about creating leaders.
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