Simple Strategies for Effective Leadership Development

I don’t want to pass up the opportunity to share an article I read about “Simple Strategies for Effective Leadership Development”. Below are a few highlights:

·????????Understand training vs. development

Technical skills often come to mind first when business leaders think about training. And while those are undeniably important for any role, leadership development goes beyond job-specific training. For example, your project manager may need to take an Excel course to become more adept with spreadsheets. But to truly reach the next level — as your future director of operations who leads a team of project managers — they’ll need a development plan that encompasses both immediate needs and future goals. Think ongoing versus one-and-done. Hands-on experience is one of the best ways to develop these leadership skills – especially when combined with mentoring, role-playing, reading and supplemental classroom training.

·????????Identify skill gaps and future needs

What skills are in short supply in your company? What areas need to be further developed to strengthen your team and organization now and in the future? These are the kinds of questions you’ll need to answer before you can implement any type of leadership development program. For instance, maybe your sales team needs to get better at presenting proposals or negotiating contracts. Or perhaps you’ve got a marketing manager who’s a brilliant communicator but needs help connecting the dots to become more strategic. Aligning individual development plans with organizational goals is key to the success of your business, as well as its current and future leaders.

·????????Determine who’s best suited for future leadership

Now that you’ve got some perspective on where the knowledge gaps exist, you’ll want to consider which employees and managers to groom to fill those gaps. First, speak with team members already in leadership positions. Take time to learn about their career aspirations. What skills and experience will they need to perform at their best now and down the road? Next, talk to more junior employees who demonstrate leadership potential. That will provide you with an understanding of both groups’ interest and development opportunities. Then, you’ll be better equipped to determine what training and on-the-job learning they’ll need.

Want to know more? Head on over to the full article here for more ideas and perspective. Afterwards, why not drop me an email to share your thoughts at [email protected]; or call me on 0467 749 378.

Thanks,

Robert