What are the most creative ways to design leadership development programs?

Gamification is one of the best ways to enhance soft skills. Including simulation games that are driven by psychological research for critical thinking, creative problem-solving, negotiations, divergent thinking, etc., can further strengthen their problem-solving, decision-making, and communication skills.

I believe anything that helps to build esprit de corps within your leadership team can be effective and beneficial for growth. Gamification can help do that, however, it needs to be the kind of competition that fosters a sense of camaraderie and kinship within a leadership team, and not competitive endeavors meant to one up each other. The program should be about lifting each other to newer heights through empowerment and developing a growth mindset that moves the team forward.

One of the best ways I saw good leadership taught was while I served on the National Speakers Association Chapter Leadership Committee. It was a skit on how NOT to do things. It was done with plenty of irony and ridiculousness - yet it effectively (and honestly) revealed some big truths on how things sometimes go when leadership is weak. We all laughed so hard and are still quoting some of the funny lines. It was so memorable and fun.

Humans love to play! It's built into our social fabric. Look at how a toddler or child who is given open time learns - they play with something and play with others. It's not that different with adults. Remember the office party games or the offsites -that amount of excitement, fun, and camaraderie is rarely seen in office work. Now when we play for something, with specific rules & guidelines, we create a game. Incorporating play and games aligned to a theme or purpose, helps leaders to get excited, have fun, experiment, collaborate and produce results creatively. Gamification of leadership development can happen both in the digital world and the physical world. It's all about how creative, we make it to be. Let the leaders play!

I am using an amazing tool named "ZAPPAR", it helps you to put a specific QR Code on any learning materials, when the learner scans the code using ZAPPAR APP, they can see interactive editable content, it can be used in gamifying the learning experience!

There is power in stories. Storytelling is compelling and personal. It ties the listener to the narrative. Once they are engaged, it is easier to tie in the learning because it makes sense from a "real world" perspective.

Stories are a great way to teach because they’re more memorable. So, by using the power of storytelling, you can make your principles more memorable for the leadership team, which will help their growth and leadership training.

Storytelling is one of the key elements for a successful leadership program. It creates connection with the audience and is considered one of the most effective modes of influence and persuasion (Pathos). Storytelling triggers strong emotions and allows leaders to illustrate lessons through relatable narratives. Storytelling transforms leadership development from a lecture to a journey of inspiration. You can read more about the rhetorical triangle (Ethos, pathos, and logos). You can use it in communication, copywriting, and storytelling.

Storytelling is a magic wand in designing leadership programs. Weaving narratives around leadership concepts makes them relatable and memorable. Leaders learn through captivating tales, and they find themselves in the shoes of the protagonist, facing similar challenges and making tough decisions. It's the art of teaching through emotions and experiences. ?

Incorporate design thinking workshops. Have leaders practice empathy, defining issues, and ideation. Give real-world challenges. Have leader teams prototype solutions and get user feedback. Allow failure during practice. This shows iteration and leads to better solutions. Debrief afterwards. What worked? What could be improved? How was collaboration? Design thinking fosters innovation and human-centered solutions, and builds creative confidence and experimentation.

Design thinking is a great tool. It covers a wide range of skills that can be learned; however, sticking only to design thinking can be limiting if other thinking styles are not explored. Leaders need to have diverse perspective and tailor their thinking approaches as per the problems to solve and situations. Other key thinking styles are, critical thinking, lateral thinking, first principles thinking, etc. There is a commonality in all these thinking styles, but having a basic understanding of each is essential not only for the leader themselves but also for their team.

I think design thinking could be a game changer for the leadership team however, you also have to start with each leader in having a growth mindset. This means empowering your individual leaders to actually want to grow personally both educationally, spiritually, and physically. This includes reading, working out, conducting challenges that can help foster growth in the team members. This coupled with design thinking, can be a powerhouse for the growth of the team.

Incorporating design thinking into leadership development involves embracing empathy, ideation, and experimentation. Begin with understanding the real-world challenges leaders face, encouraging empathy and perspective-taking. Facilitate ideation sessions to brainstorm innovative leadership solutions, and create safe spaces for prototype testing and feedback. Promote a culture of iterative learning, where leaders refine their strategies based on continual feedback and learning. Emphasizing human-centered solutions, leaders can cultivate problem-solving, creativity, and adaptability, pivotal for navigating organizational complexities and driving impactful solutions.

Design thinking breathes life into leadership programs. Encourage leaders to approach problems empathetically, just as a designer would. We brainstorm, prototype, and iterate solutions. This hands-on approach not only imparts critical skills but also nurtures a culture of innovation and adaptability—a true leadership quality. ??

The best development happens when people work on themselves *with* one another. Including a regular 30-day peer coaching cadence with a skills scorecard is a powerful way to move from stimulating ideas to transformative action. Anytime a topic is delivered, invite participants to commit to trying 2-3 tangible actions to implement the topic over a 30-day period. Then, when the group meets, they share out which actions they did, what the outcome was, and then where they need help. Or, they may discuss what got in the way of delivering the new skill. Simultaneously, they build their scorecard and track their execution of actions derived from the leadership development curriculum.

Leaders can learn a lot from each other's experiences and advice. Set up a peer mentoring program. Pair up leaders to meet regularly and mentor each other. They can discuss challenges, share ideas, and give feedback. Create online forums or social networks for leaders to collaborate. They can post questions, share resources, and connect. Host virtual roundtables where leaders can come together to discuss hot topics. Break into small groups for deeper discussions. Establish peer support groups. This provides a safe space for leaders to open up about struggles. Peer learning allows for two-way sharing of knowledge. Leaders gain insights from both mentoring others, and being mentored themselves.

The most creative example of peer learning in leadership dev that I’ve heard in a while: Pinterest’s “CNEXT” high-po program. It’s a cross-pollinating program. Not just with other departments, but with OTHER COMPANIES. Pinterest teamed up with other Fortune 100s to expose talent to different industries and people. Development within your org offers a specific kind of exposure. But when you expand beyond your walls, your leaders have the chance to: - get exposure to other industries - meet & learn from people who face different challenges - meet & learn from people who face similar challenges but in a different environment Instead of seeing other Giants as competition, Pinterest saw an opportunity.

Leveraging peer learning in leadership development facilitates knowledge sharing, collaborative problem-solving, and strengthens interpersonal skills among participants. Create platforms for leaders to share experiences, challenges, and solutions in structured peer groups or communities of practice. Employ methods like peer coaching, reciprocal mentoring, and collaborative projects to harness collective wisdom and promote continuous learning. This approach fosters a supportive learning environment, accelerates skill development, and cultivates a network where leaders can seek advice and feedback, enriching their leadership journey and organizational culture.

It’s about creating a supportive community where leaders can share, learn, and evolve together. It’s not just about exchanging knowledge; it’s about building relationships and learning from diverse perspectives, fostering a sense of mutual respect and shared wisdom. It’s a dynamic way to cultivate a learning culture within the organization.

I believe customization is imperative for the growth of the team. People are all different and so are teams l, so you can’t have a cookie-cutter approach to training them. It’s all dependent on the person, the industry and the mindset.

We tailor suits, house plans, why would we not tailor learning to fit the adult learning. I love to hit the senses with learning as well. Utilizing memory along with senses creates a blazoned experience of not only learning about the material but see a holding of content in an easier way.

Customization is the essence of impactful learning. It’s about aligning the learning journey with the individual needs and aspirations of the leaders. It’s not just about delivering content; it’s about creating a personalized learning experience that is relevant, engaging, and transformative. It’s about empowering leaders to be the architects of their learning journey, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment to their development.

Change (Break) the rules! A leader has to have a mindset to be in a continuous quest to customise. With the dynamics changing rapidly in business - be it customer needs, advancement in technology and aspirations of people - it has become imperative for a leader to keep on learning continuously for the survival of everyone in his team as the customisation process develops a sense of ownership which motivates the leader to have ceaseless conviction & commitment towards the growth of the team and himself.

In the realm of leadership development, a 'one size fits all' approach often falls short, especially for programs aimed at new or emerging leaders. As an example, those considered to be "Emerging" leaders may not yet be in leadership roles, making it difficult to practice and develop newly learned skills and behaviours. This often results in participants describing the program as highly "theoretical" or "irrelevant". In this context, adapting programs to ensure immediate relevance is critical, for example, by taking specific leadership capabilities (e.g. Coaches & Develops Others) and considering – What would this look like at lower levels of leadership? What specific behaviours might be most relevant for an Emerging Leader?

Leadership programs are most effective when all the focus and approach is on the entire human being. If your goal is only to help your bottom line and not the person, these programs will fail. By improving self-awareness, resilience, and discovering the real purpose in what drives and inspires someone, leadership programs move from being transactional to transformational and will have a significant long term impact on many team members and help create new leaders.

REAL LEADERS ARE THE ONES WHO DEVELOPS THEIR TEAM AND MAKE THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW. YOUR TRUE SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY THE SUCCESS OF YOUR TEAM.

People are all three dimensional human but they are often viewed as two dimensional caricatures from only the work perspective. Each individual has different values and each is motivated by different things. Effective leadership development program creates space to allow individual reflection and crystalize their individual leadership value. People are much more motivated to be leaders when they identify certain angles to connect their individual leadership values with organization purposes.

Leadership development requires a blend of time-tested methods with fresh, experiential approaches. Dive beyond traditional workshops; introduce real-world challenges as learning modules. For example, allocate budding leaders a 'lab project' that's outside their expertise, pushing them to navigate unfamiliar terrains. Another effective tactic is "role rotation." Temporarily place potential leaders in different functions or departments. They'll glean invaluable insights and foster cross-functional collaboration. Ultimately, intertwine creativity with real-world applicability, making leadership development not just instructive, but transformative.

While in the Marine Corps I found the best way to learn about leadership was through an official academy. I went through Corporals Course, Sergeants Course, Career Course, boot camp, officer candidate school, and The Basic School. They were all focused on leadership. I think corporate America can learn from these experiences. Send you future leaders to leadership development courses. The money you spend will be worth the investment as you develop loyal future leaders who embody the culture, vision, the mission.