How Smart Leaders Invite Their Company to Invest in Them

Years ago, I walked into my boss’s office with a simple request.

I told him I was going to attend Echelon Front’s Muster leadership event that year. Registration alone was nearly $3,000, and I was ready to pay out of pocket if I had to. But I hoped the company would invest in my growth instead.

He said yes.

Over the next several years, I attended Muster five times. Each time, I came back sharper, new tools, better systems, stronger teams.
But the real lesson wasn’t from the event content.

It was this:
👉 Take responsibility for your own growth, and invite your company to invest with you.

That’s ownership. It’s not waiting for permission—it’s taking initiative and giving your company a reason to say yes.

The Smartest Leaders Don’t Wait to Be Trained

They identify what they need.
They build the case.
They take action.

And ironically, those are the exact qualities that make a leader worth investing in.

Great companies want to invest in leadership.
They just need clarity—and proof—that the investment pays off.

And it does.

📊 Teams with high engagement are 17% more productive.
📊 Engaged teams see 24–50% lower turnover.
📊 Replacing a single employee can cost up to 200% of their annual salary.

When you lead better, your team performs better.
That’s not soft ROI. That’s business leverage.

A 3-Step Framework to Secure Company-Sponsored Growth

Use this when you want your organization to support your development—whether that’s a course, a coach, or a program like The Ownership Accelerator.

1. Frame it as impact, not cost.
   “Here’s how this will help me lead my team more effectively, free up X hours a week, or reduce turnover by Y%.”

2. Connect it to business outcomes.
   “Better clarity and engagement lead to stronger performance and higher retention—both directly support our goals.”

3. Demonstrate commitment.
   “I’m investing my time and focus. I’d love for the company to invest alongside me.”

When you show that level of ownership, it’s hard for any organization to say no.

A Simple Leadership Challenge for You

Take ten minutes this week to write down one area of your leadership you want to strengthen, and exactly how improving it would benefit your team and company.

Because ownership means this:
We don’t wait for opportunities.
We create them.
We don’t complain about what the company isn’t doing for us.
We take control of our growth.

That’s what real leadership looks like.
That’s ownership.

-Jeff

P.S. In a future issue, I’ll share a one-page framework you can use to secure company sponsorship for your own leadership development plan.