What do you do if you're faced with a team member who lacks leadership skills?

The key is to approach the situation with empathy and support. Start with a candid discussion of their aspirations and areas they feel less confident in. It's essential to provide specific examples of where you've observed gaps in their leadership skills, but do so constructively. Together, identify goals and create a personalized development plan that might include mentoring, leadership training programs, or taking on projects that stretch their capabilities. Encourage them to seek feedback regularly and be open about their progress and challenges. Developing leadership skills is a journey. Your role is to guide and inspire, helping them unlock their leadership potential step by step. See it as a growth opportunity for you as well.

Identifying and addressing gaps in leadership skills within a team is crucial for fostering a culture of continuous improvement and talent development. In my experience, a targeted approach that focuses on specific areas of improvement not only aids in personal growth but also enhances overall team performance. By creating an environment where feedback is constructive and development opportunities are readily available, organizations can turn potential weaknesses into strengths, ultimately driving success and innovation.

Before pointing out what is lacking, make sure that there are aligned behaviors, norms, values, and clear expectations on what a leadership is and is not for your team/org. Leadership is a big nebulous ball of soft skills, hard skills, personality traits, behaviors, etc. that shift over time. Prior to jumping in to fix things, it’s incumbent upon the leader of a team to establish common language and expectations of the aforementioned things. Not only does this provide consistency for those in their charge, but consistency across your team. Coming in with “gaps” if they haven’t been explicitly expressed from the start creates avenues for vagueness, misunderstanding, and incongruency with how leadership shows up as a whole.

I have found Maxwell's 5 levels of leadership to be golden at putting the gaps and steps to improve into simple terms. If done together with a mentor or leader you create a consensus and then move from there. We are all on a leadership journey-so the level is not a score or value it's more where you're at on your journey to be your best leader.

When a team member shows a lack of leadership skills, start by pinpointing specific improvement areas. Offer constructive, behavior-focused feedback in a private setting. Recommend resources or training for skill development and collaboratively set SMART goals. Encourage self-reflection on their leadership impact and provide low-stakes leadership practice opportunities. Schedule regular progress check-ins, fostering a supportive team environment that values growth. Adjust the development plan as needed and lead by example to demonstrate effective leadership. This approach requires patience and empathy, focusing on helping the team member grow, ultimately benefiting the entire team.

Invest in their development. Offer training programs or workshops that focus on leadership skills. These could cover effective communication, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and team collaboration. Encourage them to attend relevant courses or workshops.

Offer training opportunities to help the team member develop essential leadership skills. This could involve workshops, seminars, online courses, or coaching sessions focused on topics such as effective communication, decision-making, conflict resolution, time management, and team building.

Collaborate with the team member to set clear, achievable goals. These goals should align with their role and the leadership skills they need to improve. Regularly review progress and adjust goals as necessary

Work with the team member to set clear and achievable goals for improving their leadership skills. These goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Regularly review progress towards these goals and provide support and encouragement along the way.

Constructive feedback is crucial. Regularly discuss their performance, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement. Be specific about what they’re doing well and where they can enhance their leadership abilities. Remember, leadership skills can be developed over time. Be patient, supportive, and invest in their growth. As a leader, your guidance can make a significant impact on their journey toward becoming an effective leader. ??

Provide constructive feedback by engaging the team member in reflective questioning. Encourage them to evaluate potential decisions by asking what they would do in various situations and why? while discussing the implications of each choice. Help them understand the reasoning behind certain decisions and guide them towards taking necessary steps for improvement.

Provide constructive feedback to the team member on their leadership performance. Be specific about what they are doing well and where they need to improve. Offer actionable suggestions for improvement and encourage open dialogue to address any concerns or challenges they may be facing.

Look for both "shadowing" and "reverse shadowing" opportunities. That is, look for ways they can shadow you. And also look for opportunities where you shadow them (reverse shadowing), to understand how they want. Reverse shadowing can help you identify areas where they need coaching, as well as seeing what they do well.

Mentorship is indeed a powerful tool in developing leadership skills. As a leader in Business Intelligence, I've seen firsthand how a mentor can accelerate a team member's growth by providing not just knowledge, but also wisdom and perspective. It's like having a GPS for your career journey, guiding you through the twists and turns. Remember, a good mentor doesn't just tell you what to do, they inspire you to become the best version of yourself.????

Encourage the team member to seek mentorship from more experienced leaders within the organization. Pairing them with a mentor who can provide guidance, support, and advice can be invaluable in their leadership development journey. Encourage regular check-ins between the mentor and mentee to track progress and offer support.

Create opportunities for the team member to practice and develop their leadership skills within the team context. Encourage them to take on leadership roles in group projects, facilitate team meetings, or lead initiatives that require collaboration and coordination. Provide support and guidance as needed to help them succeed.

Here are some additional approaches you can take if you are faced with a team member who lacks leadership skills 1. If the situation allows, have a direct and open conversation with the team member. 2. Provide specific examples of situations where their leadership skills could be improved. 3. If you're in a position to do so, offer them coaching or development opportunities. 4. Delegate tasks that will help them develop their leadership skills. 5. If they're not receptive to direct feedback or coaching, you may need to adjust your approach. This could involve providing more indirect support or working around their limitations 6. Even if their leadership skills are still developing, acknowledge and appreciate their efforts to improve