Leadership Training Priorities - A Step-By-Step Approach

In my three decades of management and(6) Leaders must understand all aspects of
leadership consulting and training, it has becomemotivation.
abundantly clear to me that adequate and(7) Leaders must be trained to be able to both
effective leadership is a major obstacle andwrite an effective letter, and give an adequate
challenge for most organizations. Mostand motivating speech and/ or address.
organizations neither effectively qualify potential(8) How to answer objections? Leaders must fully
leaders nor have a mechanism in place to assurebe able to use the five steps to answering an
that leaders maximize their potential to succeed. Iobjection.
generally recommend that organizations(9) How to effectively work with co-leaders and
emphasize and prioritize leadership training. Thesestaff? What should a leader expect?
are the basics of leadership training, and the(10) What is the difference between
components that all successful programs include:micromanaging and effective management? What
(1) An organization must have programs formust be done before a leader can effectively
various levels of leadership. The first level is entrydelegate responsibilities?
level, or early leadership identification and(11) Leaders must fully understand the
development. These individuals are also known asorganization.
the future leaders. Next, there is intermediate(12) Leaders must be trained to fully utilize all
leadership training, or training leaders at the localaspects of the decision making process, and
and/or lower levels of the organization. Thereunderstand all potential ramifications, both positive
must then be advanced training, for thoseand negative, of either making a decision and
entering Board or Trustee levels of leadership.taking action, or conversely, what might occur if
Finally, there must be elite training, for thoseno action is taken.
involved in the highest leadership positions of an(13) What are the components of leadership
organization.judgment? What is involved in the process?
(2) Organizations must train in what is required to(14) Leaders must learn the basics of negotiation,
be a leader. In other words, "How to be aas well as the pitfalls of contracts.
leader?"(15) When should a leader and an organization use
(3) What are the skills required for leadership?a consultant, and when not to do? What should an
These include communication,effective listening,organization look for in a consultant?
negotiations, staff oversight, member relations,These fifteen items are just the "tip of the
decision making, etc.iceberg." However, when one evaluates and
(4) How to market the organization? This meanscompares the most effective organizations and
getting existing members more involved, lapsedcompares that to those that flounder, in the vast
members excited again, and potential members tomajority of cases, a significant difference is the
join, as well as exciting donors and potentialconcentration on leadership training and
donors./qualification. Today, many organizations seem to
(5) How to clearly elucidate the mission statementbe suffering from a dearth of leadership and
of the organization? This includes clearly creatinginvolvement, and one of the major causes of
one that effectively yet briefly explains thethat, is the lack of concentration on developing
importance of the organization, what it does andand training its leaders.
what it stands for.