Leadership training is essential for the growth of you and your company. According to Development Dimensions International, companies with high leadership qualities are six times more likely to be among the top 20 financial performers of all organizations. The right leadership training will develop emerging leaders in your company and hone the skills of established leaders. The problem isn’t finding the training, it’s finding the right training. There are tons of programs out there that are designed to motivate and inspire, but they lack what’s really needed to develop true leadership skills. Here’s what to look for when selecting leadership training for your company.
Leadership Fundamentals
The first step in selecting leadership training is finding a program that teaches the fundamentals of leadership. This means that the right kind of leadership training program must be an integrity-based program, one grounded in the tenants of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence refers to one’s ability to recognize individual emotions and act with integrity using five key skills: personal awareness, integrity, empathy, internal motivation and social skills. An individual’s willingness to persevere through difficult-to-manage situations and raise their level of emotional intelligence will directly impact their ability as a leader. If leadership training doesn’t sit on a foundation of emotional intelligence, then it most likely relies on pop-psychology such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If you are going to invest in leadership training, you want a program that actually develops strong leaders.
Core Values
Not only is it important that the leadership training program you select reflect your company’s core values, it’s important for it to help you reinforce those core values. Since your company’s culture is defined by its core values, leaders must be taught that critical decisions, about people, must be made against the back drop of your company’s core values. A good leadership training program will teach leaders how to hire, fire, coach, mentor and even harness harmful behavior in order to protect the company’s core values.
Program Sustainability
The leadership training program must have options for ongoing reinforcement. One-day leadership training programs or those that end after one or two sessions do not have sustainability. Participants must have the option to reinforce what they learned during the training. A good leadership training program will include pre and post-training assessments that will measure and track the skills learned from the program.
Use for All Leaders at all Levels
One of the goals of the program you select should be to develop emerging leaders. It is also equally important to select a program that develops veteran leaders. The leadership training program you select must give emerging leaders and veteran leaders the opportunity to work together and learn from each other. Select a program that is applicable to leaders of all levels.
Customizable
The leadership training program you select must be customizable to you and your industry. The facilitator must be able to relate to the participants and their day-to-day challenges. Be sure to interview the facilitator before making your final selection. Also, keep in mind that the leadership training program you select must contain case studies and examples that are relevant to the leaders in your company.
Use these tips to help you find the leadership training program that will help take your company to the next level. Don’t rush through the process and settle for a program that you do not feel will exceed your expectations. Proper leadership development is necessary to sustain and grow your company.
{{cta(‘4f162f01-a196-4c7b-837f-dcc91f5eb05b’)}}
Jeff Ruby
Founder of RedRock Leadership