Executive Leadership Training - How to Make it Effective

There are several characteristics that make aTherefore, good executive leadership training is
good executive leadership training program. Thecustomized to meet the unique needs of the
most important characteristic is that the trainingorganization.
should improve the capabilities of the people in theOne way to ensure your leadership training will
organization so that you achieve the businessaddress the needs of your people is to be clear
goals and objectives. The training should beon the expectations and the competencies
customized to address the specific needs of therequired to meet those expectations. Then, you
people being trained, train to all of thecan measure the performance and determine the
competencies you require for your leaders, andgaps between current and desired performance.
focus on goal achievement.Remember the goal of the training is to develop
One mistake many organizations make is they fallthe leader to achieve the results of the
into the trap of being impressed by speakers andorganization. So you want to make sure that your
training systems that use all the latest industrytraining is results based not just competency
jargon found in leadership books. Any training thatbased.
your organization engages in should first andThere are five components that are absolutely
foremost result in a noticeable difference in thenecessary for moving an organization towards
performance of your people.desired objectives. These components are skills,
If you bring in speaker and they do aknowledge, goals, attitudes, and habits. If your
presentation that is motivational and engaging,leaders don't have leadership skills, lack the
everyone will be excited and complement theknowledge necessary to perform well, and have
speaker and the program. However, you noticeno goals, they are destined to perform poorly.
no difference in the performance of your people.Even if they have the first three components,
This means the event failed your organization. Inthey will still perform poorly if they have poor
fact, most events will not yield the kind of resultsattitudes and habits.
you want. Good executive leadership training is aIn summary, executive leadership training should
process, not an event.be a customized development process. The
There is never a "one size fits all" product. Everytraining should address the five major
organization and environment is different. Youcomponents and focus on achieving organizational
could take two companies in the same industry,results. If your leadership training program
offering similar products and services and eachincorporates these things, you will have a
organization will have different challenges.successful program.