“Some people really stepped up.” That’s what a friend of mine said when I asked him how things went when he returned to work after a month of medical leave. The look on his face and the tone of his voice said the rest, “. . . and some people didn’t.” It is a common theme of discussion in my executive leadership coaching practice. I hear it from most leaders I talk with. Some people step up, and some people do not. It is often surprising who does and who doesn’t. We are thrilled by the unexpected leadership shown by those who rise to the occasion, and we can be so disappointed by people who fail to meet our expectations. The former can be gratifying, but the latter can shake our confidence as leaders.

This week I will focus on the pleasant surprises. Sometimes, they are truly just gifts. There was nothing we did to make them happen. The need arises and people step up. That’s what happened last week when my son’s new soccer coach had an unexpected travel issue that was going to prevent him from being at the team’s first practice. He sent out an email asking for help, and several people volunteered to fill in. Events like these are encouraging, because they reflect a positive characteristic in human nature. They reveal a natural altruism that most people share. All we need is for someone to ask for help. Although it takes self-confidence and a degree of leadership to muster the courage to ask for help, it says more about the character of those who respond than it does about the leaders who ask.

Other times the breach being filled is more than just a pleasant surprise or a generous gift. It these situations we have laid the groundwork – sometimes consciously, sometime unconsciously – to fill the void when the unexpected happens. When someone steps up, we rarely think about our own role in her action. Most of us are so grateful for the support that we don’t take time to reflect on what we did to create a leadership culture that made their actions possible. I have observed several leadership behaviors that often lead to this type of culture, including the following:

• Creating Line of Sight – Leaders who connect the work we do to vision, mission, and/or strategic plan are much more likely to see those they lead step up and fill the leadership void created by their absence. That is because this “line of sight” helps us see why our work matters. These leaders have the ability to make the organization’s vision come to life. For them, the vision isn’t part of a document that sits on the shelf. It is an integral part of how and why work is done.
• Empowering Action – The best leaders I have known rarely told me precisely what to do. Rather, they told me what needed to get done and helped me figure out how to do it. They were wise enough to recognize how much (or little) help that meant. Even in those situations where I was a novice and needed a great deal of help in figuring out how to do a job, the great leaders I’ve known always challenged me to figure some of it out for myself. This behavior instills a sense of ownership that will translate into the type of accountability that will prompt people to step up and lead.
• Planning Ahead – The best leaders anticipate disruptions. They recognize that life has a way of throwing us for a loop, so they plan accordingly. One of the most important parts of a business continuity plan is the succession plan. Whether it is for a short-term leadership vacuum caused by an emergency or a permanent change, organizations need to have a plan to replace key people. Part of that plan is an expectation that people will know what to do to take up the responsibilities of the person who is gone. One of the biggest challenges is the realization that no plan will be perfect – there will always be gaps. A good plan will attempt to minimize the gaps. A great plan will establish a culture that will respond to them. These plans help foster a leadership culture that will encourage people to recognize the gaps, determine the appropriate response, and then step up.

These three behaviors are a reflection of strong executive leadership, but that doesn’t mean they are the exclusive domain of senior executives. Everyone from individual contributors to the CEO has the responsibility to think like this, to ensure that your organization will thrive without you. Too often, leaders fail to recognize that the role is important, but your presence does not have to be. By creating the right leadership culture, your influence can be felt even when we are absent. Building a resilient organization that will thrive with or without you takes a great deal of work. It means connecting the work you do to the organization’s vision. It means building a culture of accountability and creating effective contingency plans. It also means promoting a culture that nurtures the natural altruism in everyone. What can you do today to start creating this type of culture in your organization? How can you coach those around you to think this way? What is stopping you from stepping up when your organization needs you?

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