Some of the most meaningful “full-circle” moments in life happen when you invest in someone else… and then one day, you watch them start doing for others what you once did for them.
That’s true in sport, and it’s true in leadership.
When Leaders intentionally develop, train, mentor, and coach their people, something powerful happens over time: capability grows, confidence grows, and eventually your team members don’t just become high performers… they become the kind of Leaders who lift others. It’s one of the most rewarding (and humbling) experiences—realising your influence didn’t stop with results; it multiplied through people.
Here’s a personal example of that full-circle journey for me:
Coming from Canada, how could I not play hockey? I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know how to skate, and I’ve had some awesome hockey coaches over the years. When I moved here to Australia 12 years ago, I never thought I’d be able to give back through coaching my own kids and other youth with hockey, but this has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
To see kids grow and flourish in their teamwork, skills, and character has been amazing. Yes, I sometimes dip into a Gordon Bombay (Coach of the Mighty Ducks) for an inspirational speech :). Our youngest son, Malachi, finished Second with his team in his competition, and as their Coach, I couldn’t be prouder – they found it hard through the semi-final and only lost by one goal in the final, and Malachi was a big part of their success with his goal-scoring and puck battles. I also play hockey in an adult competition with my sons Josiah and Nehemiah and we make up the Epp Line! We lost our semi-final game in the shootout, but came back to win third place with a decisive win this week!
Some things in life are a full-circle experience. I had awesome ice hockey coaches when I played all the way through my junior ages in Saskatchewan Canada. Then I became an Ice Hockey Coach through Ice Hockey Australia, and I have had the awesome experience of coaching my sons in their junior Ages. And now, I’m even playing Ice Hockey in the Adult competition with my eldest sons! What an amazing ride, now I have to develop my skills more as they’re surpassing me already :)
In the workplace, this “full-circle” effect is what separates teams that rely on a few strong people… from teams that grow leaders at every level. The goal isn’t just to get the job done today—it’s to build the kind of culture where people learn how to lead, communicate, coach, and bring out the best in others tomorrow.
If you’d like to explore how we help Leaders become the kind of leaders who develop more leaders (and create that multiplier effect across the team), reach out here:
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