| Every day we deal with a variety of matters of | | | | talent than to achieve similar levels of |
| urgent importance in our organizations. Seldom is | | | | improvement in an area of weakness. |
| leadership development on that urgent list. While | | | | Find ways to learn. |
| perhaps not urgent, few things are of greater | | | | Leaders can be challenged to look for a wide |
| importance to the future of our organizations that | | | | variety of learning resources - encourage them to |
| the conscious and consistent development of our | | | | look beyond the training workshops you might |
| future leaders. Unfortunately, when we do put | | | | provide. Have them consider podcasts, websites, |
| time and effort into leadership development, all | | | | lectures, books, discussions with other leaders, |
| too often those efforts fail. | | | | finding mentors, working with a coach - the list |
| In this article I will outline seven specific things you | | | | goes on and on. Once people begin to look, they |
| can do - as an individual wanting to improve your | | | | will see many ways they can learn. |
| leadership skills or when thinking about leadership | | | | Find ways to practice. |
| development across an organization. Implementing | | | | Learning the ideas and knowledge is one thing, but |
| any one of these suggestions will prove a valuable | | | | to become a more effective leader people must |
| supplement to what you are already doing. | | | | practice. Encourage leaders to integrate what |
| Implementing most or all of them will yield or | | | | they have learned into practice. Help them see |
| more confident, competent and prepared leaders | | | | that there are opportunities to practice |
| than your existing development efforts by | | | | everywhere - and not only at work. People will |
| themselves ever will. | | | | say they are busy - and they are. Challenge them |
| The Seven Suggestions | | | | to consider their leadership development as a |
| Create opportunities for self discovery and to | | | | integrated part of their work - among their most |
| create desire. | | | | important tasks - rather than "one more thing to |
| Learning anything successfully requires a | | | | do". |
| motivated and interested learner. This is especially | | | | Get the leader's leader involved. |
| true for leadership. Often leaders see themselves | | | | Leaders can't do it alone. Having the leader's |
| as technical experts. In many cases they have | | | | leader involved will help keep development as an |
| been promoted because they were good at their | | | | important priority, but beyond that, the leader's |
| previous jobs - which may have had nothing to | | | | leader can provide coaching and help remove any |
| do with leading. Leaders need to understand how | | | | obstacles that might be in the way. Most of all, |
| influential they are and know how they are doing, | | | | the leader's leader can provide support and |
| what the gaps are and have a desire to improve. | | | | encouragement - two things that are critical when |
| 360 Feedback processes are one way to raise | | | | we are learning (and practicing) new skills. |
| awareness and create a felt need for | | | | Build systems organizationally to support the other |
| improvement. While they can be a powerful tool, | | | | six suggestions. |
| the underlying purpose for their use is to create a | | | | We can do the six steps above as a motivated |
| clear desire for further development. However | | | | individual. But if we want to create a process for |
| you accomplish this discovery and desire, it is | | | | leadership development in our organization we |
| critical to the development of greater leadership | | | | have build ways to systematically provide people |
| skills. | | | | with the opportunities and options provided by the |
| Set a goal / make a plan. | | | | other six suggestions. |
| Leaders, either on their own or with assistance, | | | | What is Missing? |
| need to set an improvement goal - they need to | | | | Notice that the suggestions above don't talk about |
| have a clear picture of the areas they would like | | | | a training workshop, seminar or event as the key |
| to develop. With a goal set, a plan can be put in | | | | to your efforts. While you want any training you |
| place to move towards it. While this will often | | | | provide to be as useful and effective as possible, |
| happen during a training event, this goal needs to | | | | training alone can only get you so far -which is |
| be in place before attending any training to | | | | why your current efforts are less effective than |
| maximize the value of that training. | | | | you'd like them to be. The seven suggestions |
| Focus on strengths. | | | | above are meant to be an adjunct to your |
| Too often leaders build a plan based solely on | | | | training efforts - to be a process to layer on top |
| improving areas of weakness. While we certainly | | | | of your existing efforts. |
| want to improve in those areas, an equal amount | | | | Training alone won't produce the leaders you |
| of effort should be focused on enhancing and | | | | need. It is one ingredient. The other seven |
| further developing areas of greatest strength. | | | | suggestions in this article will, when added to a |
| While there are several reasons for this, none are | | | | valuable, practical and effective training program, |
| more compelling than the fact that less effort is | | | | produce the leaders you desire - and your |
| required to improve an area of strength or natural | | | | organization needs. |