Succession planning and creating future leaders from within your own organisation are things that successful, growing businesses have implemented from the very beginning. So many companies have no formal leadership training in place that it becomes a tiresome pursuit of new staff members for crucial roles as more staff leave for pastures new as their career path is blocked. Building a leadership training programme helps a company not only retain key staff members but also to entice potential new staff to work with you, as it shows that there is clear career progression.
In situations where there is no formal leadership training in place staff members can often be thrown into situations where they are not comfortable, or do not have anywhere near the experience to deal with certain factors, personnel and information that has to be analysed, worked and disseminated accurately in order for the good of the immediate team and the wider organisation. Some people thrive in these situations, being thrown into a hostile and confusing situation and coming out of the other end with the ability and the desire to become a good leader within that company.
There is a lot of chance to working in this way however, and a leadership programme that has been well thought out and implemented for current staff members to take advantage of can be of massive benefit to a company as a whole.
A quality leadership training programme will teach students how to be comfortable and confident in speaking to large audiences and how to get information across to important people within a company in a concise and effective manner. To progress through a company and become a leader you will have to learn how to effectively present ideas to the boardroom and to get management onside with your ideas.
Being a good leader isn’t just about being comfortable speaking to larger groups of people and in the boardroom to important people, it is also about learning how to talk to someone on a basic human level, one-on-one. As a leader you’ll be expected at various times to conduct reviews with staff members, providing critical feedback and advice. Being empathetic at these times will go a long way to building trust with your staff members and having a reputation as a manager that can be trusted with private issues and work issues.
Not only that but you’ll learn how to encourage and motivate individuals and teams of people, going with the carrot or the stick depending on who you are talking to, understanding the nuances of different teams and team members and essentially driving results at all times.
Being a good leader requires patience, understanding, critical thought and the ability to work under immense pressure and still deliver results. Prepare for your future as a leader through a thorough business leadership training programme, and if you are a business owner that hasn’t implemented a training programme for future leaders, think about succession planning and how to retain the best minds within your organisation, a career path for future leaders will encourage them to stay with you for the long-term.
Content written by Shaun Jackson