In the fast pace of today’s business climate, it’s easy to focus only on the next thing on the “to do” list. Too often, everyone from entry-level to the C-suite gets focused on daily tasks or crises, and training and development is easy to overlook
But offering training to everyone across the organization is a necessity for businesses that want to remain competitive in a global market. Not only does ongoing training and development help ensure that the company will be able to meet the future demands of the marketplace, but research indicates that it improves employee experience, resulting in improved retention and satisfaction.
As you work to improve development options across your organization, it may be tempting to focus only on vital skills training to meet immediate or near-future needs. However, it’s equally important to offer leadership development opportunities to future and current managers, mid-level leaders, and C-suite leaders. Leadership development shouldn’t be overlooked in the day-to-day push to meet the demands of the market. Rather, leadership development is a vital ingredient in the current and future health of an organization.
5 reasons why leadership development should not be overlooked.
1. It creates leaders prepared to face future challenges
Leadership development is not a “one and done” endeavor. Rather, leadership development is an ongoing effort to develop the business skills and people skills necessary to create high-performing teams and deliver results.
Very few people are born prepared to lead a team through current and future challenges. When business changes as quickly as it does in the modern world, leaders need ongoing preparation to develop the standards of an exceptional leader that will help their teams deliver now and into the future.
2. It establishes the unique skills each leader should develop
Every leader is different. Some have natural abilities to connect with their teams and inspire commitment but lack some foundational manager skills. Others have strong business acumen but struggle to display emotional intelligence or lack organizational savvy.
Leadership development professionals and coaches know how to assess each leader and establish the essential skills they need to deliver results and grow their careers. A good coach will help a leader create an Individual Action Plan that establishes measurable goals and outcomes for development success.
3. It helps leaders grow while delivering results for the business
Good leadership development programs will not rely on just classroom learning or books. Rather, leadership development should grow participants through a blend of learning approaches. People need about 70% experiential learning, 20% relationship learning, and 10% formal learning to fully develop new skills.
Strong leadership development approaches will allow leaders to work on current challenges with other leaders and colleagues in the organization while receiving feedback and coaching along the way. This development approach allows leaders to deliver results as they hone existing skills and develop new ones.
4. It gives a framework for developing leaders
When leaders develop skills without a focused framework or process, it’s easy for bad habits, unproductive behaviors, or challenging leadership styles to become entrenched. In the day-to-day efforts to continue delivering business results, leaders will sometimes develop or fall back on practices and behaviors that negatively impact the business and team members.
A solid leadership development strategy will use frameworks, processes, and methods that detect these unproductive behaviors and practices before they become entrenched. By pinpointing such issues early within a framework, coaches and leadership development professionals can help leaders develop healthy, productive leadership behaviors and habits that improve their capabilities in the long-term.
5. It produces a lasting impact on the organization
When organizations take a methodical and intentional approach to developing leadership skills at all levels, they create lasting impact for their organizations. First, developing leaders at every level helps create a strong leadership bench and talent pool for future opportunities. These leaders will have deep knowledge of their company and its unique challenges, and they’ll be able to meet those challenges with skills that produce results.
Second, developing employees at all levels improves the employee experience and long-term retention. Employees are more likely to stay with an organization that offers development opportunities.
Finally, good leaders impact the organization from top to bottom. Not only can they meet business challenges, but they will create a company culture that values every team member and improves the company reputation.
The Stewart Leadership LEAD NOW! Model helps establish the focus, relationships, and skills necessary for leaders to deliver people and business results. With our coaches and leadership development professionals, you can build a strong leadership bench that’s prepared to deliver excellence for your organization, now and into the future. To learn more about our leadership development programs, contact us.
SELF CHECK:
- Which level of leader is most in need of development to meet current business challenges?
- On a scale of 1 to 10 (1=non-existent, 10=overflowing with talent), how strong is our leadership bench right now?
- What is one thing we could do to expand training opportunities in our organization?
