The Future of Leadership Development
Leadership development has always been an important aspect in determining the success of any organization. Without properly trained leaders, companies fall victim to mismanagement, dissatisfied employees and ultimately lack in overall company growth.
The way leaders are trained has not always been the same, however. As time goes on, it’s vital to adapt to the ever changing technological advancements by discovering new approaches to leadership learning and development. Let’s take a look at how leadership has evolved during the past 50 years.
The Evolution of Leadership Development
1970 - 1990
Traditional Classroom Training – Based on the level of technology in these two decades, classroom training was a sufficient approach to developing both new and current leaders. This form of educational delivery included workbooks, facility training and other hands-on based approaches to learning.
2000’s
Traditional Blended Training – The dot-com era accelerated the shift from classroom based learning to a balanced training approach. As the adoption of internet technologies became more prevalent, the methods used to train employees at all levels needed to change. This timeframe is where the traditional in-person, classroom training starts to mix with new, technology driven methods of training.
2010’s
Traditional Online Training – The universal adoption and advancement of technology in the late 2000’s with social networks such as Facebook and YouTube created a global shift in the way we communicate, and subsequently a shift in the way leaders are trained.
Improving Current Leadership Development Methods
The problem with traditional leadership development is the delivery method of training material. The methods currently utilized by many organizations overlook context, underestimate mindsets, fail to measure results and are decoupled from real work. While technology is evolving at rates beyond anything seen before, management training styles have not improved at the same rate. There are new technologies and methods of delivering leadership training material which are currently untapped, potentially allowing individuals to learn in the flow of work. This is a far more effective approach to training when attempting to increase performance, productivity and ROI than the traditional approach.
So why are companies investing in leadership development?
The reason is simple: People understand that properly educated leadership is a crucial aspect of any successful business. However, only 10% of CEOs believe their company’s leadership development initiatives have a clear business impact. Fortunately, some organizations are coming to realize that leadership development training is a vital strategic investment for scalable growth. Did you know 89% of executives surveyed believe strengthening organization leadership is a top priority within their companies? Additionally, 81% of employees reporting to recently trained managers said they were more engaged in their jobs. Not convinced by these powerful effects of leadership development? Consider this:
- Companies that have improved their approach to training and developing leaders reported:
- 114% higher sales
- 77% lower turnover
- 71% higher customer satisfaction
- 42% better operational efficiency and
- 90% lower absenteeism, just to name a few
Employees of all skill levels are also aware when leadership development is not being prioritized or even considered. 63% of Millennials surveyed said their leadership skills were not being fully developed. How can we ensure our future and current company leaders are getting adequate, up-to-date training that will benefit not only employees, but your company's performance as a whole?
Welcome to the Future of Leadership Development
The Leadership-as-a-Service model is the powerful new framework designed to revolutionize the way we develop leaders. Shifting the focus to hands-on experience means leaders will learn and develop their skills in the flow of work. How can you connect your organization's strategy to a successful execution?
Goals.
Clearly defined, attainable goals are the definitive link between leadership development and measurable results within your organization. So how do we achieve attainable results? It begins with understanding the Leadership-as-a-Service framework.
Leadership-as-a-Service
Leadership-as-a-Service is a continuously strategic approach to leadership development. This differs from more traditional training strategies which revolve around an event-based approach. Leadership-as-a-Service allows developing leaders to take the classroom learning theories and apply them in real-life, on-the-job situations. Learning as they go and getting advice when they need it provides a scalable solution that can be used by the entire organization.
Reinvent the Way You Train Leaders
Take strategic steps to create measurable results among the leaders in your organization with the Leadership-as-a-Service Strategy in mind. Whether measuring soft data based on people’s perception, or hard data based on objective behavior, you now have the tools necessary to understand how your team learns best.
This article originally published on the Inspire Software Blog by Jason Arnold.
About Drea Zigarmi:
Dr. Drea Zigarmi is a highly respected and experienced management consultant, best-selling author, powerful trainer, and motivational speaker.
Drea is the coauthor of Leadership and the One Minute Manager, the third book in Ken Blanchard’s best-selling One Minute Manager Library, and various chapters in Leading at a Higher Level. In addition, he has coauthored The Leader Within, Achieve Leadership Genius, and The Team Leader’s Idea-A-Day Guide. Drea has coauthored numerous Ken Blanchard Companies products, including the widely used Situational Leadership II, DISC, and Optimal Motivation programs.