A common stereotype of corporate culture from years gone by is that of an unhealthy hierarchy where employees do the most work for the least pay and upper management sits in their corner office, with their feet up, drinking Scotch. While this is uncommon, examples of this structure can certainly be found in history, but in reality, companies would have a hard time operating this way for long. Such actions by a business owner or executive would would stifle the growth of their staff, and in turn the progress of their enterprise.
If a business is to thrive, employee and management development must be viewed as an investment and encouraged. Opponents to this view might argue that development is not the company’s responsibility and that its resources could be better used elsewhere. While it’s true that no business is obligated to invest in staff leadership development, neglecting this task could be detrimental. Let’s examine why investing in one’s employees’ professional development yields a good return.
Keeping the Company Strong
The negative outlook described above leads one to believe that business owners benefit when their underlings are suppressed. This couldn’t be further from the truth. A strong company culture relies on cooperation, transparency, and mobility. Employees must always have a direct line of communication to management and vice versa. Every staff member should feel encouraged to make contributions and suggestions without fear of judgment. If not, problems get left unchecked, teamwork suffers, productivity falls, brand reputation takes hit after hit, and the whole thing eventually collapses.
Truly investing in leadership training provides an antidote to this potential disaster by decreasing turnover and increasing opportunity. Employees will feel empowered to learn new things, open new doors, and take on new responsibilities. Some staff members may fall short, but others will thrive in this environment and make their way to new positions within the company, strengthening it from the inside. This mobility shouldn’t threaten upper management. The more people with valuable skills, the better. While continued development might lead to some internal restructuring, it’s bound to benefit the business.
Staying Ahead of the Competition
Ultimately, every business wants to have a leg up on its direct competition. Devising a leadership development program offers the best way to do so.
Companies everywhere are becoming more selective about who they hire. Every business wants to employ the best people with the most experience, as this will immediately give it an edge in the market. One of the most powerful ways for a company to captivate ideal new hires is by making it clear that it offers such leadership development courses. This will bring in people who already hunger to learn more and to grow as professionals. This way, a business will get the most out of its people and the most out of its training regiment.
To truly maintain a competitive edge, a company must invest in the leadership skills of all its staff members. The more people learn and grow within the company, the more ideas will flourish. New ideas lead to product innovation, creative marketing tactics, bold partnerships, and more.
At Leadership Resources, our purpose is making the impossible possible through people. We aim to do so by helping individuals develop patterns of success that will decrease stress levels and maximize productivity. Contact us here to learn more about what we do and how it can help your business succeed and grow.
