Feel the fear and do it anyway

Remember learning to drive? You'd seen it done thousands of times, maybe read a booklet about rules of the road. You had visualized yourself doing it and were sure you were ready. Yet despite your preparation the first time you got behind the wheel, you sucked.

It's not enough to watch someone do it, or read about it, or imagine it.To master the art of driving, you need to drive.

The same can be said about most skills;  they must be practiced to be mastered.  There's a reason that surgeons' first cuts are on cadavers!

If your people are ever going to be as capable, experienced, and valuable as you are, they need a chance to practice the skills they are learning. For them to learn and grow they must be challenged, must take on tasks they won't do perfectly the first time. Your job is to get out of the way and give them a chance.

Think back. There was a time when you had never supervised staff, given a public presentation, written a briefing note, chaired an RFP evaluation. You were unproven material, and someone took a chance on you. Like learning to drive, you made mistakes. But you learned from them, got better.

To develop your people, you need to take a chance on them.