Leadership
development has become a necessary focus for any organization that wishes to
separate itself from the pack and become established in markets that are always
changing the rules.
Companies need
to invest in leadership development, but more importantly, they need to make
sure it’s part of their culture. There’s nothing wrong with a one-day seminar,
but it’s not a leadership development plan. Creating a culture takes more than
a single rah-rah meeting.
Creating an
intentional strategy for developing employees is one of the most important
things you can do as a leader to impact the culture of your organization. This
is especially true for those you would categorize as future leaders.
If you want to
be intentional about developing future leaders in your organization, here are a
few keys to consider:
1. Communicate
Your Vision to Employees
Every
successful business has a vision. Maintain regular communication about the
company’s vision and request your employees and other people to help you to
achieve it. Sharing your business motives with your employees allows them to
set their mission and the future leaders see their future in your company and
work towards attaining it. Therefore, it is imperative to have a common goal
with your employees. Keep them on track each day to ensure that they do not
lose focus. Always remember that the future of leadership in your company is
determined by the manner that you handle your current workers.
2. Show
Employees You Trust Them
If you want to
help employees develop, trust them to do their jobs by getting out of the way. Let
them know what your expectations are by modeling the behavior you expect—show
them you trust them. This not only lets employees know what they need to
succeed and gives them greater ownership, but it also shows them that
credibility and trust are important in your organization.
3. Use Job
Rotation to Broaden Experience
Give your
workers a chance to broaden their expertise by working in different parts of
the company. This will allow you and them to discover both their strengths and
the areas where they need additional training. It will also give them an
appreciation of other roles that will be beneficial in managing others in those
areas.
4. Create
Coaching and Mentoring Opportunities
One of the best
ways to develop future leaders is by having them learn directly from other
successful leaders. Once you’ve identified candidates that could potentially be
great leaders, match them up with a great leader to mentor them, coach them,
and consistently provide feedback. A mentor can provide customized guidance that
helps prepare junior employees to become more effective leaders in the future.
Building these strong relationships early creates opportunities for open,
honest lines of communication throughout the leadership development process.
5. Provide
“Stretch” Assignments for Employees
Offer a chance
for your employees to prove themselves while also cultivating new talents.
Providing assignments that stretch them outside of their comfort zone will
force them to learn to better manage stress and tap into their creativity and
problem solving abilities. Even failure can provide valuable lessons that can
better your team.
These are just
a few of the ways organizations can develop leadership potential in the
workplace. By keeping communication open, incorporating leadership into regular
professional development, and giving emerging leaders opportunities to grow,
organizations can begin to build their leadership pipelines from within.
No comments:
Post a Comment