Master The Art Of Training Others
Leadership is not about doing it all yourself — it’s about developing others to rise and lead alongside you. It’s about recognizing people’s potential and giving them the tools, time, and trust to grow. But here’s the challenge: you can’t train others effectively if you haven’t trained yourself on how to train.
Let me ask you a straight-up question: What are you doing to develop yourself as a developer of others? Because if you want to multiply leadership, if you want to create a ripple of growth in your team or organization, you’ve got to become a master trainer.
Let me break this down with 3 transformational tips:
1. Train Yourself First
You can’t pour from an empty cup. One of the best leadership habits you can form is the discipline of self-development. I make it an ongoing practice to read books from the education section of bookstores—not just leadership books. Why? Because teachers understand how people learn. They’ve spent their lives studying the art of transferring knowledge, building engagement, and creating lasting change.
If you want to train well, go get the tools. Invest in books, online courses, coaching programs—anything that sharpens your skills in communication, teaching, mentoring, and facilitating. Remember, your ceiling as a leader will become the lid on those you lead. So raise your own ceiling.
2. Understand People’s Learning Styles
Not everyone learns the same way—and that’s one of the biggest traps leaders fall into. Some people need checklists, structure, and clear steps. They thrive on organization. Others want to be thrown into the deep end and figure it out through challenge and experience. This is why you must learn what drives people’s behaviors. I have used many tools over the years to do this, but my favorite personality tool is MPO. It is by far the most comprehensive physcometric assessment available (contact me to find out more).
Great trainers pay attention. They don’t guess how people learn—they find out how they learn. Try this simple tip to get started: sit down with someone you’re developing and simply ask, “How do you learn best?” Then listen closely. Adapt your style to serve theirs. That connection builds trust and accelerates growth.
3. Get Feedback, Give Feedback
Never assume you’re doing it right. Feedback is your mirror—it reveals what’s working and what’s not. As you train others, take time to evaluate your own effectiveness.
I recommend using what I call the bookend questions. Ask the person you’re developing:
- “What do you need more of from me?”
- “What do you need less of from me?”
These two simple questions open the door to honest conversations. They show humility and a willingness to grow, which models exactly what you want in others.
The More You Learn to Train, The Higher Others Can Go
Leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room—it’s about becoming the best equipper of others. The more you grow your skills as a trainer, the more impact you’ll have. The legacy of your leadership will not be what you did but who you raised up to do great things.
So go ahead—train the trainer. Because when you get better, everyone around you gets better too.
