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At a recent HR Grapevine meet-up, one of our panelists the audience: ‘Whose top priority this year is developing managers and leaders?’
In a room full of 70 HR, talent, and people leaders, well over 60 hands flew into the air.
This confirms a 2023 Gartner survey, which found that leader and manager development is the top priority for HR leaders in 2024, has hit the proverbial nail on the head. An earlier survey found 59% of HR leaders plan to increase their investment in manager development programs over the next two years, including 2024.
Unfortunately, many employers are still getting their leadership development programs wrong. Only a quarter of businesses believe their leadership development is highly valuable to their company. A lack of alignment with company capability strategy, one-size-fits-all training, and the prevalence of bias within these programs all threaten to undermine the lofty ambitions HR teams have for leadership growth. And with over three-quarters of businesses admitting their programs are not ‘up to date,’ even for the most sophisticated development programs, evolution is a must.
It's time for an audit of your leadership and manager development programs. What’s working, what’s missing, and what needs to change?
A checklist of what you need to include in your leadership development programs
In the interest of positivity, let’s start with best practices. There are several characteristics of development programs that nurture and curate high-potential leaders.
“A strong leadership-development program follows the employee throughout their career journey,” says Tony Gigliotti, Senior Director, Talent Management & Organizational Development, UPMC. “For example, individual contributors have opportunities to gain insight into leadership roles within their organization and how they can navigate their career toward these roles.” Under this approach, he argues, aspiring and new leaders have opportunities to establish and hone their foundational leadership skills, gain awareness of their preferred leadership style, and determine their leadership brand. Here is Gigliotti’s full checklist of best practices to include when planning leadership development:
Engage high-potential leaders to understand their individual career goals and how the organization can best support their development.
Identify specific competencies that will drive learning experiences for high-potential leaders.
Create interactive and engaging learning content so that high-potential leaders can customize that learning and relate it to their individual careers.
Involve executives and other influential sponsors to cultivate high-potential leaders’ development.
Ensure that development plans are embedded into the learning process to further unleash individual potential.
Proactively identify and funnel high-potential leaders to opportunities that benefit both them and the organization, such as elevated positions, visible roles on committees and councils, and board appointments.
Common pitfalls for leadership development programs
Having considered the best practices – hopefully, some of which will already be present in your organization – let’s also consider the pitfalls that can damage the effectiveness of leadership development programs. Gigliotti provides three major pitfalls:
Assuming that all high-potential leaders want to grow and develop. Some high-potential leaders may be perfectly content in their current role and not have an immediate intention to advance their careers. Organizations should respect these individual preferences.
Creating a one-size-fits-all learning program for high-potential leaders. Each leader may need something different or unique to grow their skills and careers. Ensure that the learning approach is flexible enough for these leaders to customize.
Failing to have a strategy to leverage high-potential leaders within the organization. If leaders will use their precious time and energy to enhance their self-awareness, grow their skills, and refine their approach, they should understand the rewards for doing so.
Indeed, managers and leaders need to know the “why” behind adding training to their already over-packed schedules.
Comprehensive leadership development programs: A benefit for leaders, HR, and the company
Thoughtful leadership development programs offer both aspiring and new leaders the chance to develop their skills, establish their preferred leadership style, and even develop personal branding. They also offer existing leaders the chance to refine their capabilities, eradicate bad habits, and acquire new ideas and skills that could help them meet ever-evolving employee and organizational challenges.
Gigliotti provides several further benefits. “Aspiring and current leaders find a community and build their networks through collaborative learning,” he says. “Development opportunities enhance a leader’s sense of confidence and engagement in their role, and a broad, inclusive approach to development creates a more diverse pipeline of leadership talent. This in turn produces successors for critical roles.”
Like Gigliotti, many of us will be aware of just how impactful a healthy manager and leadership development program can be. With the help of his checklist and common pitfalls, it’s time to audit your leadership development program and make it a competitive strength, rather than a consistent sore spot, for your organization.
