When a company invests in developing its emerging leaders through the right leadership development program, this investment leads to decades of success. Your company’s diamond-in-the-rough leaders learn how to shine.
What is a Leadership Development Program?
A leadership development program is an important tool for developing future leaders. Changing times are constant, and organizations are no exception. Market conditions, employee turnover, and company growth all contribute to continuous change. As such, future leaders must be prepared to lead through these changes and to guide the organization’s employees as they adapt to new challenges. The most effective leadership development programs include training in change management, which equips future leaders with tools to harness the power of vision, provide strong leadership, and improve performance.
Effective leadership development programs should focus on developing leaders who master strategic execution. By learning how to manage a project’s complexity, leaders develop bright, talented workers who can influence others across non-direct reporting lines. These leaders also learn how to break down goals into actionable tasks, mobilize workers across teams, and build broad, organizational connections. These skills will be crucial for future leaders, whether they are in the C-suite or the field.
Companies that invest in leadership development programs often benefit from the long-term results of their efforts. Research shows that 85% of US employees are dissatisfied with their jobs. And 60% of all employees in the United States are not engaged. Developing leaders will improve employee engagement, promote personal growth, and ensure that the company’s values are maintained. It will also attract and retain top talent. In addition to developing future leaders, this program will prepare people for the challenges of the modern workplace.
A well-designed leadership development program is an investment in the future of your business. It improves organizational culture by investing in people. A more responsive and agile organization will result from such an investment. HR departments can’t change company culture overnight, but managers who are equipped to manage their teams positively will see improved motivation and better business results. The more you invest in leadership development, the more likely your business will achieve its goals.
Choosing the right program matters. Certain factors determine whether a particular leadership program is the right fit. Here are three important things to consider.
Does it Foster Flexible Problem-Solving?
Leadership development isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. The program must be individualized and tailored to each company, culture, and team of emerging leaders.
Your business includes people with a wide variety of leadership styles, some more productive than others. A high-quality leadership development program helps identify preferable leadership styles and encourages your staff to follow best practices in effective leadership.
When choosing a leadership development program, consider the quality of leadership coaches available to your company. How well trained are they? What types of leadership development principles do they follow? Do they display flexible thinking and the adaptability it takes to address evolving issues at your company?
Effective leadership development improves a company’s capacity for productive problem-solving in a wide array of daily circumstances. Whenever a challenge arises, company leaders can plan strategically and implement action plans with adaptability and resilience.
Does it Build Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is an often-overlooked aspect of organizational growth, but it’s an essential component to address. When developing leaders display high emotional intelligence, they’re more capable of working together, achieving goals, and surviving tough times.
In addition to boosting personal income, emotional intelligence is proven to impact the bottom line in business. High-EQ leaders have the interpersonal skills to succeed and inspire others to succeed, too.
On the flip side, low EQ limits personal and professional success. When organizational leadership includes too many low-EQ leaders, there tends to be more interpersonal conflict, hesitation to innovate, and resistance to making changes that move the company forward.
Does it Support Lasting Engagement and Satisfaction?
The ideal leadership development program won’t use a set-it-and-forget-it attitude, abandoning your company after a short period. The most productive leadership development programs take a long-term approach that lasts at least 1 to 3 years into the future.
This is a thoughtful, transformative approach to accomplishing your company’s biggest goals. It requires a shift in mindset that impacts how an employee sees themselves within an organization.
Do your employees feel fully engaged and satisfied with their work? This is an important point to consider when choosing a leadership development program. Entrenched negative attitudes and strong resistance to change make it all the more difficult to accomplish big things.
Ask a potential leadership coach about big-picture matters like cultural change, strategic planning, and succession planning. Your business strategy consultant must be skilled enough to support your company through a period of massive growth and change.
How to Choose the Best Leadership Development Program
The right leadership development program brings the top benefits of developing leaders and helps your staff feel supported. It empowers them to be their best and, in turn, to bring the best to your company.
It’s essential to recognize that leadership isn’t an inborn trait. It’s something people can learn and hone over time as they expand their leadership knowledge and practice their new skills. To do this most successfully, experts recommend engaging with robust leadership development programs, as opposed to following traditional training programs.
Leadership Resources provides a comprehensive leadership development approach that checks all the boxes of a high-quality program. To make strides forward in personal and professional leadership development, enroll in the Accelerate Leadership Program.
