Each organization must tailor its leadership development programs to address specific challenges and opportunities for the future of its business, but some basic elements are relevant across types of businesses. Considering company-specific and layer-specific challenges, as well as the needs of different types of leaders in the modern business world, is crucial for developing a sound leadership strategy. While this takes extra time and resources, it will ensure that the organization’s leaders are meeting business-specific needs and leadership challenges. Existing leaders should also participate in the definition of a model of leadership competencies.
The best-case scenario involves developing leadership competencies that reflect your organization’s unique sector, company, and needs. Focusing on program goals and the fundamental competencies of true leaders should guide the selection of participants for global leadership development. After program goals are established, the next step is to think about the core competencies required in each global leader. The best development programs are designed and executed with concrete goals unique to your team and your company, with a core of values connecting it all.
By investing in the right executive development programs, team leaders are equipped to sustain growth and resilience while their companies continue to grow. A leadership development program provides employees with the training that helps them acquire the skills and knowledge needed to take the next step in their careers and become leaders. Edge Training Systems’ expert team can assist with any of your leadership development needs, whether you are teaching new skills to employees or helping them sharpen existing strengths. Whether you are a senior executive sending senior employees to leadership development programs, or an upwardly mobile executive attending on your own, you and your organization will greatly benefit from the skills you learn from participating in the Harvard Programs for Professional Development.
Creating Leadership Development Programs for Your Accounting & Finance Team Your accounting & finance teams are one way you can give them a chance to build the skills needed to advance in their careers at your organization. Effective Leadership Development Programs (LDPs) offer opportunities and direction to ensure that employees–especially those who are positioned in a senior role–can develop the skills necessary to run their careers, guide others to success, and produce excellent work for your organization. Leadership programs also allow individuals to identify their existing strengths and build new skills. Developing effective leadership programs should begin by providing leaders with specific skills, tools, and behaviours that they will need in order to confidently lead others and to lead their teams or organizations’ performance.
Having a leadership program means giving employees the tools and training needed to navigate challenges over the coming years. Training on managing change must be a part of every leadership development program, making sure leaders are equipped to tap into their powers of vision and deliver powerful, clear guidance in every season, taking advantage of times of change to enhance company performance. It is essential that you design a successful leadership development program that strengthens current leaders while providing a clear path for prospective leaders to learn and grow. Internal leadership development programs give employees opportunities to expand their skill sets and reinforce skills that are necessary for advancement within your organization and throughout their careers.
If you are working in a creative or technical role, learning leadership skills may help you more effectively manage projects, communicate with your team, solve conflicts, and negotiate with your supervisor when it comes time to speak with them about professional growth. Learning leadership skills in a safe environment takes the pressure off you to make mistakes, giving rising leaders a chance to grow and reflect with a diverse group of peers who are all on a similar developmental journey, according to Julie Jangalwala. Leaders involved in a developmental process of any sort benefit immensely from having a senior leader speak to them about what they are learning about leadership, as well as what they are learning about themselves.
Often, the first steps involved in developing emerging leaders are identifying emerging leaders, increasing their self-awareness, emphasizing relationship skills, and increasing competency-based leadership skills. Emerging leaders are people who are in the early stages of their leadership journey.
Anyone can proclaim that they are a great leader, but not everyone has spent extra time with a program that enhances their leadership skills. Experienced executives might feel that they do not need more leadership training, but they could benefit from a good program, too. Young professionals at an earlier stage in their careers — get deeper knowledge about business, develop their leadership skills, and get fast-tracked into management.
Executive education programs – Advanced degrees in executive leadership that help train leaders in building the business acumen and crucial sector-specific skills needed to succeed at scale. Rotational programs are when employees spend time with various departments, learning different leadership skills, and developing a better sense of how the business units overlap and work together. Coaching involves learning and developing the traits and skills leaders need to lead teams, grow the business, and deal with business challenges.
Program owners also hold focused training sessions about necessary skills needed for managers to properly role-model. These sessions are designed to help managers maintain meaningful developmental plans for participants, and generally to facilitate success in the learning managers. One-on-one mentorship, hands-on skill-building, in-service learning, and specialized assignments, supervised by supervisors, have typically proven far more effective in developing the individual’s most conceptual, person-oriented skills.
Organizations that are committed to developing their leaders through a long-term learning program are likely to attract and retain top talent within an industry. A business promoting a leadership training program will experience a few notable results, such as better collaboration, higher morale among employees, and higher levels of productivity.
The programs should be focused on the best practices of leadership development, frameworks such as emancipatory frameworks, design sprints, and applied improvisation are good examples of such practices. Taking a proactive approach to developing your leadership skills does not just make sense for you as an individual–there is a strong business case to be made for such training.
