Growing leaders inside the organisation is one of the biggest investments you need to make. However, simply doing training program after training program (no matter how good the training may be) without a solid framework around learning is often counter productive. Also, limiting leadership development to actually ‘training’ is also extremely limiting : as leaders grow by doing more than ‘listening’ or ‘studying’ or anything else a class room session only can offer.
1. Personal Mentoring: We mimic : from the time we are born. It is one of the fundamental ways we all learn. Learning leadership is no different : and what better way to learn than from those who have ‘been there and done that.’ Create a structured mentoring program : and ensure you pair mentors with mentees carefully : because this ‘connection’ is crucial for internal mentoring programs and initiatives to truly bear fruit. Personal mentoring also enables the transference of values and norms : essential for building a cohesive culture.
2. Structured Training: Training : when structured and continuous becomes a great tool. Make sure the training is linked to activities after training : where the participants have to practice the tools, techniques and mindsets they have learnt : in actual work scenarios. Conceptual learning is limiting : application of learning is the key. KNOWING is different to actually being able to do things : and it is in doing that you hone skills. So, ensure training is structured with solid processes for learning application afterwards.
3. Exposure Visits: It is important to learn from others : and other organizations : even when they have nothing in common with your industry. Management and related concepts are often transferable : and being able to ‘pick up an idea’ even from a way side tea shop and being able to contextualize it to your business or organisation becomes an invaluable skill to have as a leader. so, encourage exposure visits : with the clear objective of learning ‘something they do better than us’ and being able to come back an implement it inside your own teams.
4. Forcing to talk about failures - and lessons learnt: Force an open conversation about ‘what goes wrong’ and ‘how do we correct it.’ Take the blame game out : instead : replace it with opportunities to learn. Done continuously these wide open conversations about failures, and how we learn from them enable a culture of proactive consultation to take place : rather than reactive fault finding.
5. Encouraging lateral promotions: As much as possible, encourage lateral promotions. Leadership is something that is not pivoted on technical know how : rather around being ablate harness the collective knowledge, skills and competencies of the entire team. So, removing people from their ‘safe zone’ of technical competence forces young leaders to depend on their teams, ask the right questions, learn fast and work together : rather than being overtly reliant on their technical expertise which becomes a big stumbling block for more senior positions.
Grooming leaders continuously is an important task for any organisation. Consciously putting frameworks and eco systems around how leaders grow in their own way is important : and this should not be left to change. Make sure you develop a multitude of interventions to learn leadership : not merely climb up the corporate ladder.
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