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Leadership
The Secrets of Effective Leadership Development
5 actionable tools to improve your leadership.
Posted August 1, 2023 Reviewed by Hara Estroff Marano
Key points
- There are five useful skills needed to elevate your leadership.
- If Olympic athletes have a coach, you should, too.
- Assessments may not be all they are cracked up to be.
- Knowing yourself is step one for becoming a strong leader.
Leadership is not a title; it’s a calling. But it is far from easy. You don’t lead people to do something as much as you motivate them to be someone—the best version of themselves.
It requires the skills to unearth and develop in people their essential competencies of skills, knowledge, and attitude. As a leader, you teach them what needs to be done, how to do it, why it needs to be accomplished, and their critical role in the entire project. You motivate them to do their best job and to look for solutions to problems people don’t yet recognize. Leadership is part science, part art, and there are people (including this author) who have studied this craft with the hope of improving its practice.
Leadership development is not innate. A weekend workshop will not develop leaders but will give them things to think about. Sadly, most organizations develop leaders individually instead of scaling the process and creating a pipeline of those who will see the company through the next cycle of innovation and change.
Leadership development is a powerful and transformative process that molds individuals into influential leaders who can drive positive change in their organizations and communities. Crucial elements unlock the secrets of effective leadership development and shed light on the strategies that foster the growth of exceptional leaders. They are at the cornerstone of any effective leadership development program.
Emphasizing Self-Awareness
If you don’t recognize your strengths and challenges, how can you help people with theirs? One of the fundamental pillars of effective leadership development is self-awareness. Leaders who understand their strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations are equipped to lead authentically and empathetically. By recognizing their blind spots, leaders can make well-informed decisions and foster a supportive work environment.
Effective leadership development programs focus on self-assessment tools, reflective practices, and feedback mechanisms. These initiatives enable aspiring leaders to delve into their thoughts and behaviors, identify areas for improvement, and embrace personal growth as a continuous journey.
It is important to note that self-assessment tools in a vacuum are useless. You are given another label for yourself, but unless you know how to leverage the positive, work on the negative, and collaborate with those who are the same as and different than you, then the assessment is of little value.
Cultivating Emotional Intelligence
Good leaders can teach you the skills you need to know. That is where most people stop, when, in reality, it is where leadership begins. Optimizing emotional intelligence equips leaders to recognize and manage their emotions and empathize with others, fostering strong interpersonal relationships. Leaders who flex their emotional intelligence and those of their team members can inspire trust and create a culture of collaboration and innovation.
Emotional intelligence can be learned and teaching leaders to enhance these skills is at the cornerstone of any competent leadership development program.
Encouraging Lifelong Learning
Despite all of their successes, high achievers are continuously learning. Effective leadership development programs instill a growth mindset in individuals and teach them different methods of learning. While the classroom is an obvious choice, books, lectures, YouTube, LinkedIn Learning, and podcasts are all valuable options for growth.
Telling people they need to be lifelong learners and offering resources are two different things. Learning allowances, mentors, and networking opportunities are all ideas to help inculcate lifelong learning into the culture of an organization. Additionally, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experiences among leaders through workshops and seminars can enrich perspectives and broaden skill sets.
Providing Mentorship and Coaching
The research is clear: Those who are mentored outearn and outperform those who are not. They get promoted more often and have less burnout. While mentorship provides strategic vision, coaching offers nuances that can make pivotal differences. It is why every Olympic athlete has a coach, as they know small changes can mean the difference between being on and off the podium.
Mentorship and coaching play integral roles in nurturing leadership potential. Experienced mentors can offer invaluable insights and point out common pitfalls. Coaches, on the other hand, provide bespoke support, assisting leaders in goal setting, accountability, overcoming challenges, and honing their leadership style.
Such relationships are pivotal for growth. Leaders should have mentors, and coaches should offer the same benefit to their rising leaders.
Embracing Diversity and Inclusion
To maximize innovation, diversity of thought, which is based on diversity of upbringing and experience, needs to be woven into leadership. Helping see problems and solutions from different angles will put you ahead of the competition while building a cohesive and collaborative team.
Effective leadership development is a multipronged process that involves self-awareness, emotional intelligence, continuous learning, mentorship, and inclusivity. These elements unleash the full potential of aspiring leaders to lead effectively with purpose, vision, and compassion.
Nurturing exceptional leaders is about empowering individuals and creating a brighter future for organizations and society. Integrating the above elements into leadership development programs can build a generation of leaders who inspire, empower, and positively impact the world.
