Leadership development has been a strong trend in companies during the recent years. Employers, partly due to the economic crisis, realized that it is good to be able to identify high potential employees, but not only that. It is even better to move these employees into leadership and develop them further. The faster it will go, the better. Clomedia.com, therefore, focused on the development of leaders and published some tips on how to accelerate leadership development we have summarized for you below.
Start with measuring
Once you identify high potential employees and decide to develop them further as leaders, you need clearly specified metrics to measure effectiveness of the development (turnover, productivity, time-to-hire, etc.). You cannot compare results without the metrics.
Choose the right development programs
It is relatively simple to find employees with the potential for further development. However, it is also necessary to find the right way to develop them. Succession plans reaching deep enough into your organizational structure may help you.
Involve coaching for performance improvement
Create coaching programs tailored to individual employees and their leadership roles. Focus on how you can contribute to the development of their careers in the coming years - i.e. on what you can offer, not only on what you want to get.
Provide different opportunities
Offer different projects for your high potential employees to develop different skills. Identify four to five most important skills and search for a suitable project for each of them.
Offer long-term challenges
You should also find long-term projects for your future leaders to improve all their skills gradually.
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