How do you choose the right leadership training provider or coach for your organization?

Think ahead about whether you see the training as a one off effort or something you will offer on a recurring basis. Think about how you want to reinforce the training after it is done. Perhaps you want the trainers to coach people afterwards. Perhaps you want online refreshers of the training. Take the long view of what your needs are before making short term decisions.

Look for trainers who have first hand experience practicing leadership, not just teaching it. Direct experience will increase the credibility of the trainer in the eyes of training participants. If seasoned managers are in the training as students, they will see through trainers who are little more than professional presenters.

Some companies have a clearly defined RFP process that checks the credentials, process, quality, outcomes, and references of the training providers or coaches, while some companies focus on budgets. References from 1st or 2nd-degree connections are a great way to find these trainers/ coaches, if you don't have one, then use the accreditation bodies network to identify the one best suited for your project. Spend time on due diligence to ensure quality outcomes.

The most important thing to compare is the quality of the trainer who will actually show up and deliver the training to your group. The people at the training organization responsible for selling deals are often different than the people who actually deliver the training. Some trainers are professional presenters without first hand experience in the subjects they are teaching. Avoid those because your students will see through them quickly. Clarify the specific name and background of the trainer you will get and don’t leave that to chance.

Look for trainers that have common links with you and executives in your organization. Shared affiliations with schools, companies, or professional certifications can demonstrate a common set of standards. Shared links between trainers and senior leaders in your organization can also buy credibility with your senior executives in the training provider you choose.

Chemistry conversations are a great way to decide your coach. What's the vibe, comfort they are willing to create, how confident do they appear, what type of questions do they ask, are they interedted in discoverign your business/ you better or are they on a sell-mode?

It is important to understand what leadership is and what it is not. There is too much conflation between management, positions, and the anecdotal. The result is empirical evidence of workplace dysfunction, toxic cultures, degradation, and harm to people. There are multiple human-made crises in the world. The top polls show low confidence and trust in those called leaders. The truth is many of these outcomes relate to nominal leadership. Less than 7 percent of the theories come close to emphasizing the critical aspects of leadership. A successful CEO by some measure, is not necessarily a leader unless there is a practice of leadership. Therefore understanding leadership's grand theory will facilitate the foundational capacity to choose.

Rookies or new coaches may bring fresh new perspectives to conversations and help explore challenges differently. Try reverse, cross-cultural and you may unlock value. Check credentials, and work on pilot projects to find fresh talent. Also, check your internal readiness for any new initiatives, coaching/ leadership development - if you do too much your folks will battle fatigue.