A very wise person once said to me: "If you want it all, you must realize that you can't do it all."

This succinctly captures a very important concept: One of the key attributes of leadership is recognizing the need to delegate, and then taking steps to effect that delegation. To drive your company to achieve strong, sustainable growth, top management must build a strong leadership team.

There are two major reasons for this:

• All companies are made of people. True, you might have an incredible, scalable technology that allows your company to do more, and do it faster, with fewer resources than your competitors. However, if you are going to grow, you still must have people to execute the business plan with you. These people will be the core team that will drive the company to the next level.

• Success depends upon it. Andrew Carnegie once said, "No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit." It is a simple fact that if the company is growing, the founder or CEO will simply not be able to micromanage even key decisions or relationships. By building bench depth with competent, committed people to form the leadership team, top management can help ensure success going forward.

Putting a team together takes time and must be approached in a considered, thoughtful manner. This is too important a matter to be rushed into recklessly. As you begin the process, I would suggest:

1) Do your homework. There are books available at any bookstore to guide you through this process. Do your research and keep in mind the desired result. As part of this process, you will need to have a very clear idea about what your ultimate goals are - for you and the company.

2) Solicit input from trusted peers. Speak with trusted peers in your local business community - especially those who have grown a company through the development of a robust leadership team. Draw on their experience. They will have insights and can provide guidance that will potentially save you an enormous amount of time, effort and headache through this process.

3) Seek out experts in recruiting and organizational development. If you are proceeding down this path, you've already recognized the need to delegate in order to grow. That process can begin here. You will almost certainly need some professional assistance to grow the leadership team that your company needs to spur and support its growth.

There are many specialists in the field of organizational development, and you should not hesitate to avail yourself of their services when needed. The outcome of this effort will have a major impact on the future of the company, so this is no time to skimp on resources.

Putting in place a clear plan to build your leadership team will be a key step in driving your company to greater success.

Bruce Rector: brector@therectorgroup.com or www.therectorgroup.com