Leadership Development What It Is, Who It Is For and How to Do It
By Andrea M. Moore, CPLP, CEC
To remain viable and ensure they continue to be successful, organizations must always prepare for the future. This includes revisiting and revising strategic plans, regularly assessing the business environment and adapting to meet changing needs. Another key component is identifying team members who will someday direct the company and developing them into leaders.
It is encouraging that many organizations are focusing on leadership development. Before investing resources, however, they should make sure they’re moving in the right direction. Companies need to understand what leadership development entails, foster an environment that allows it to succeed and carefully consider whom to include in development initiatives. Below are questions to get organizations (regardless of size or industry) thinking about how to make leadership development programs most effective.
Do our development programs recognize the difference between management and leadership?
Organizations often view management and leadership as the same thing and thus combine management- and leadership-related development activities. But there are real differences between these concepts: While management activities center on a role’s functional tasks, leadership focuses on how an individual influences others. It is important to recognize that leadership is not a skill or responsibility tied exclusively to managerial positions; even individuals in nonsupervisory roles can impact a company’s strategy.
It doesn’t make sense, then, to offer management and leadership development at once. Furthermore, when companies do this, participants tend to focus on their daily tasks and not on their influence. The learning process is much more effective when organizations dedicate time solely to leadership development opportunities.
What is the most effective approach for identifying leadership development participants?
Organizations must consider: Of all the people who exert influence in the company, who will have the most impact on the strategic direction? Who can and should take us where we need to go? This requires the organization to have a well-defined strategic plan. It also means the company must make careful choices about where to invest development resources and must continually reassess decisions based on business realities.
Are we culturally ready to implement a leadership development program?
For a leadership development initiative to be effective, the organization must be culturally ready to implement it and must be willing to create space for participants to learn more about themselves. Leadership development is a process, not an event – it is a continual journey of
self-discovery that calls for recognition of personal drivers and motivators. The company should provide participants with a safe environment that allows them to grow, and it should also give them permission to take risks and practice new ways of exerting influence.
What are some of the key components of a leadership development program?
As participants submerse themselves in a leadership development program, they will come to expect ample learning and growth opportunities. To support their needs, the company should include:
A kickoff to set the stage, review the process and agree upon outcomes. It is critical to manage expectations so that everyone (including facilitators, participants and company directors) buys into the process and understands the end goals.
Feedback from key constituents with whom the participants interact. This helps participants better understand the influence they have both inside and outside the organization.
Experiential exercises. These help participants practice skills that allow them to influence others in new ways.
Participation and modeling from senior leadership to demonstrate that the organization supports the process.
One-on-one coaching with participants to discuss their unique challenges and to identify strategies for working through them.
Group coaching that allows participants to share best practices, encourage one another and normalize the challenges involved in leadership development.
Reassessment at regular intervals after the program. This helps the organization determine if the process achieved the desired outcomes and if the investment was worthwhile. It also identifies areas for improvement.
Ongoing feedback from senior leadership so participants can evaluate their behaviors and understand how they are influencing others. The organization also must collaborate with participants to plan further development opportunities and to manage expectations.
A key element common to all these ideas is commitment. Organizations must dedicate themselves to identifying the right people to carry out strategic plans, to implementing the programs that build strong leaders and to creating the open environment that promotes leadership development. By doing this, they will not only promote their team members’ growth – they will also help secure their own long-term viability.
Author:Andrea M. Moore is a senior consultant at FlashPoint, an Indianapolis-based human resource and management consulting firm. She is a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) and a Certified Empowerment Coach (CEC), and serves as president of the Central Indiana chapter of the American Society for Training and Development. She can be contacted at (317) 229-3078 or www.FlashPointHR.com
Leadership Development