A strong pool of potential leaders is an asset of any organization. As a manager, developing successful leadership training should be a priority. But what happens if your leadership training efforts are failing? How do you even know if they’re in trouble?
It’s time to reassess and find out what may be preventing your leadership development efforts. Start by asking six questions about your organization:
1. Who are You Picking?
Some people want to become leaders and others may not. Most likely not all of the candidates are your current top performers.
Leadership training is the growing and nurturing of people at any level of the organization. The ability to positively influence others and deliver clear results and strong communication skills are all the skills of a potential leader.
2. Is Your Organization Prioritizing Leadership Training?
Mentoring, coaching, special projects, and formal education are all pathways to developing future leaders. Are you paying enough attention to all? Give leaders the time they need to learn new skills. Motivate them to share those experiences and then execute what they’ve learned.
3. Are You Continually Measuring Effectiveness?
There’s no alternative for regular feedback. Ask the leaders you are training whether they feel they’re improving and enjoying the process. Are they implementing the new learnings?
4. Are You Owning Upto Errors?
No one is perfect. If you assign someone to a leadership post who doesn’t work effectively, recognize the issue and don’t let the situation fall. If there are serious issues that prevent candidates from being successful, try facing and solving them.
5. Are You Using Outside Leadership Training Resources?
There are excellent resources out there for leadership training, such as online learning and seminars, so don’t be afraid to get some outside help. Just be sure to employ them selectively.
Constantly engaging potential leaders will help you encourage loyalty to the company and thereby create a reliable talent.
