Start with the basics: what is leadership?
You have to begin by defining what leadership means to your company.
While companies might develop their own unique approach and definition of leadership, the concept itself is not overly complex.
Leadership is, simply, the capacity to inspire and motivate others to achieve a common goal.
Framing it around “capacity” is helpful, as capacity is something that can be developed. While some people naturally have a higher capacity than others and all may reach the limits of their capacity for effective leadership, everyone can also develop and improve their current capacity.
What qualities make up a good leader?
This will vary from company to company, but many will be shared across all organizations.
These 12 core qualities that may be a starting point for your organization:
1. Honesty and Integrity
2. Communication and Interpersonal skills
3. Decision-making ability
4. Emotional intelligence
5. Vision and Creativity
6. Motivational skills
7. Strategic thinking
8. Problem solving
9. Collaborative abilities
10. Self-awareness
11. Team building
12. Commitment
You’ll notice that many of these qualities are ones that can only be strengthened through training. A leadership development program is aimed at doing just that.
How can you create a leadership development program?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best way to develop leaders in your company will vary depending on the specific organization and its needs. However, there are some general principles that all good plans for leadership development should follow.
Firstly, it is important to clearly articulate what the goals and objectives of the leadership development program are. Without a clear sense of purpose, it will be difficult to design a program that is effective in meeting those goals.
Once the goals are established, you can then begin to identify the resources that will be necessary to make the program a success.
This may include hiring external facilitators, developing custom training materials, or investing in leadership development software. Leadership coaches can also assist in this ongoing development process.
Another key element of a good leadership development plan is to create a structured path for participants to follow.
This could take the form of an in-person cohort or a video-based curriculum, but the important thing is to provide a framework that will help participants learn and grow in their leadership skills.
Finally, it is also important to consider who the target audience is for the program. In many cases, it will make sense to focus on developing leaders at all levels of the organization, from front-line employees to senior managers.
Make sure to monitor the results
There are a few different ways to monitor the results of your leadership development program.
One way is to track the progress of participants over time. This can be done through surveys or interviews at regular intervals (e.g. every 6 months). The key here is that you’re using the same method to evaluate leaders over time to really be able to compare results.
Another way to monitor results is to track changes in organizational measures such as employee engagement or customer satisfaction.
You can also track the financial impact of your leadership development program by looking at measures such as profitability or productivity.
Adjust the plan as needed to ensure that you are developing leaders in your company effectively.
A basic leadership development plan to get you started
If you’re wanting the bare bones of a plan you can begin to flesh out and implement immediately, here is a rough outline of a leadership development program you can begin to consider and develop.
Let’s imagine we’re creating this leadership development program for our managers at XYZ Corporation.
Here at XYZ, we believe it is important that all of our managers have the following 10 qualities and skills:
1. They have a clear vision and can articulate it to their team.
2. They are able to build trust and rapport with their team.
3. They are able to delegate tasks and responsibilities effectively.
4. They are able to provide clear and concise direction.
5. They are able to give feedback that is constructive and helpful.
6. They are able to create a positive and motivating work environment.
7. They are able to make decisions quickly and effectively.
8. They are able to handle stress and pressure well.
9. They are able to adapt to change easily.
10. They are able to inspire and motivate others to achieve their best.
Offer regular professional development opportunities
At XYZ corporation, we will begin by providing training on specific software programs that the company uses. This includes things like customer relationship management (CRM) software, project management software, and presentation software critical to our core business.
We will offer courses on topics related to our company’s industry. For example, if the company is in the healthcare industry, we might offer courses on medical coding, billing, and compliance. If XYZ were in the financial industry, we might offer courses on investment strategies or risk management.
We will host workshops or seminars led by guest speakers who are experts in their field. This could be an opportunity for employees to learn about new trends and developments in their industry, as well as network with other professionals.
Implement a mentoring program
The most critical part of our program is that we will provide a mentoring program or refer to professional leadership coaches.
An in-house mentoring program can be an extremely beneficial tool for leadership development within a company. This kind of program can be beneficial because it provides employees with a direct line to someone who can provide guidance and advice on career development. This is especially helpful for young employees who may not have a lot of experience in the workforce.
In-house mentoring programs also help to create a sense of community within the company, as employees are able to connect with each other on a more personal level. Furthermore, they give mentors the opportunity to share their knowledge and experience with others, which can help them to feel more engaged in their work.
However, before rolling out such a program, we need to consider:
- Who will be responsible for coordinating the program? This person will need to be organized and have good communication skills in order to manage the program effectively.
- How will mentors and mentees be matched? It is important to consider things like compatibility, common interests, and goals when making mentor-mentee matches.
Call employees to step up
We will also encourage employees to step up.
XYZ will actively encourage our employees to take on leadership roles and responsibilities, and provide them with the support they need to succeed. As we develop your leadership development program, we will encourage our employees to take on leadership roles and responsibilities.
We will provide them with the support they need to succeed, including access to resources, mentorship opportunities, and development programs (mentioned above). By doing so, we’ll create a pipeline of leaders within our organization and prepare our employees for future success.
Recognize and reward leaders
There are many ways to acknowledge and reward employees who demonstrate leadership qualities and behaviors at XYZ. One way is to offer them opportunities for further development, such as attending leadership workshops or courses.
Another way is to give them more responsibility within their team or department. And of course, we can always show your appreciation through verbal praise or written feedback.
Ultimately, the best way to reward leaders is by giving them the chance to lead – so we will consider offering them promotions or new assignments that will allow them to put their skills into practice.
Evaluate and adjust as needed
We will regularly evaluate our leadership development efforts to ensure they are effective, and make adjustments as needed.
- Is our development program actually resulting in an impact on the bottom line?
- Are teams more engaged?
- Are we seeing the more subjective leadership and communication qualities listed above grow in those who are in the program?
If something isn’t working, we won’t be afraid of adjusting it on the fly. We need to make clear to participants that this leadership development program is itself under development.
We will ask for constant feedback (anonymously or in-person) and drive for greater effectiveness in each cohort of participants.
If our program is still very much under development but we sell it as a perfected model, we’ll certainly leave people disappointed.
We won’t be afraid to tell people that this program is still wet cement. We will give them a hand in shaping the future of the program!
Conclusion
Creating a leadership development program is an important step in ensuring the future success of your company. It can help to improve communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills among your leaders and managers.
Additionally, a well-executed program can also help to build trust and credibility among employees. As we’ve shown, at least the basic components of a leadership development program do not need to be extremely complex.
Ultimately, it is essential that all members of your organization have the opportunity to develop their skills and abilities so that they can contribute effectively to the success of the company.
Without a focus on employee development, people will stagnate, get bored, and ultimately be less effective. Your employees very well may even move on to greener pastures where they can receive the development they long for.
If you want assistance in the development of a leadership pipeline or would like to get one of our trained leadership coaches to work with you or your leaders in development, contact us at Leadership Coaching Network today!