“Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.” – Vince Lombardi

I’ve talked with a few clients recently about whether it was “worthwhile” to invest in their people. One CEO said he wouldn’t put ANY of his direct reports through further training. An SVP decided to postpone coaching because he couldn’t decide whether to look “outside” for all new leadership talent. ”Right now,” he said, “none of them have what it takes to get to the next level.”

It’s a pretty sad state of affairs when you can’t imagine anyone in the cubicles being ready for a big job in a year or two. Today, there are more leadership assessment tools than ever, yet paradoxically, your succession planning meetings leave people feeling worse not better about the next generation. Is it just that hiring has been so bad? Or could something else be going on? Are you afraid to say, “Let’s invest in this person first, and see what happens?”

Yes, sure, it’s tempting to think especially in this economy that there’s a big pool of “talent” out there. But it’s false comfort. Maybe you can waive a magic wand and bring in a shiny new team that will have it all. But what if you feel the same way about them a year or two from now?

Let’s return to ”Vince Lombardi’s philosophy that leaders are “made.”

One way to look at this s to review your own career path. Ten years ago, would everyone have predicted you would be where you are today? I can promise you that most of my friends would not have said, “Wow, ten years from now I can really see Suzanne as CEO of her our own successful business.” Entrepreneurship didn’t look like the most likely next path for a TV news reporter and anchor. My one and only memorable brush with finance had been laboring over a P and L statement on my accounting final at the University of Illinois.

The point is that most of our crystal balls are foggy. It’s hard to know whether someone has potential until you actually invest in them. Of course you don’t want to throw good money after bad. But you have to give decent people a chance to learn before you cast them aside.

Making an investment in your people is a powerful statement of faith. You’re saying, “I believe in you enough to spend money on you.” As a coach, I’ve seen it time and time again. Reasonably talented people are tremendously grateful for the opportunity to work with a coach or attend leadership courses. They make the most of it and become better leaders because of it.

It only takes one influential person in your life to stir the embers. When I started my business, I’ll never forget what my attorney and now dear friend Eleanor Uddo said to me. After our first meeting, she shook my hand and said, “You’re going to be wildly successful.” She said it with such conviction that I believed her. I really did. I’ve never forgotten it.

Here are five strategies for applying the Vince Lombardi philosophy:

1. Keep an open mind. I don’t mean to look at everyone with the same, rose colored glasses. Just leave a little space in that judgmental brain of yours that allows for a pleasant surprise. I am often amazed at the tremendous progress our coaching clients make, sometimes after a few weeks.

2. Avoid the temptation to say, ”there’s no talent out there.” Word always gets around. Whether you believe you have talent or not it’s true. Or rather, it’s self-fulfilling prophesy.

3. Put it into the budget. Leadership development doesn’t work when it is an afterthought. It’s vital to the future of your company. Get a number on paper at the beginning of the budget cycle and honor the commitment.

4. Look at your best people as a work in progress. We all have miles to go, and we know it. Success is about lifelong learning. Your best people know they aren’t there yet, but they don’t always know where to go. It’s up to you to help them get access to the right resources.

5. Don’t expect people to learn everything “by osmosis.” Talented young leaders will pick up a lot as they go, but to develop high level skills like communicating, influencing and motivating others they need coaching and mentoring.