While good training is part of effective leadership development, results indicate that effectiveness goes beyond just training, according to Michael Leimbach, vice president of Global Research and Development for Wilson Learning Worldwide. The Training/Wilson Learning annual Leadership Development Survey identified six critical elements to ensure leadership development training is successful:
Using the right learning methods – Different learning methods work better for different skill development needs. What might work for a technical skills program may not work for leadership development.
Organizations are not always choosing the most effective methods for their leadership learning experiences. (Refer to the survey’s learning methods usage effectiveness map to drill deeper on this.)
- Transition support – High-performing organizations develop potential leaders early in their career, provide more advanced leadership skills throughout their career, help manage their expectations, and mentor during their transition.
- Executive involvement – High-performing organizations are significantly more likely to engage their executives in modeling effective leadership behaviors, setting clear expectations for leadership development, sponsoring leadership community efforts, leading sessions and recording videos for leadership programs.
- Manager coaching and involvement – Current leaders of high-performing organizations are more likely to let go of responsibilities, document critical processes and provide coaching and support.
- Encourage leaders to take responsibility for their development – High-performing organizations support this effort by making leadership development a key performance indicator (KPI), using stretch assignments to guide development choices, and providing 360-degree or self-assessments of leadership skills.
- Develop leadership character – High-performing organizations are more likely to provide leadership programs specific to developing character or incorporate character into leadership programs, while low-performing organizations are more likely to offer no character development at all.
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