Workplace leadership training can be a complicated thing. Without the correct formation of resources and ongoing support for development, businesses will often fail to see a return on their investment in their staff.
Failure to ensure ROI can be due to a number of issues, however, the primary failure is isolated and singular training sessions, which are often forgotten shortly after they are undertaken. Workplace leadership training should be ongoing and integrated into everyday work life. It should also be lead by directors and senior management, to ensure that it not only supports development but also promotes the growth of leadership skills.
46% of business leaders stated that they do not have the correct support in place in order to lead the evolving, diversified workforce.
Millennials, in particular, do not feel that they have been developed as effective leaders, which may well result in weak and unconfident management structures which are unable to lead and develop their teams effectively, in the future.
Many managers also feel that a lack of exposure to honest and critical feedback, leads to failure to develop their leadership skills and as a result, the workplace culture suffers.
Establish your company leadership model
In order for your management team to effectively lead their employees, they must understand the wider objectives of the business. This then allows them to identify their role within the system and be able to build their leadership strategy around the deliverables required of their team.
Ensuring that the workplace leadership model is communicated clearly across the whole of the business can also improve the ways in which individuals accept accountability for tasks. It can also spur on reconsidering how to lead their team in the most effective way.
Innovation linked to risk taking
Workplace cultures should aim to inspire and innovation can only be achieved through the ability to take considered risks. Workplace leadership training should inspire managers to build effective lines of communications with employees to foster an environment where they feel safe to speak their views, share ideas and propose methods for shaking up the current ways of working.
Where employees feel at risk of being perpetually shot down when proposing new or slightly riskier ideas, innovation will be depleted and along with it, morale.
Workplace leadership training should aim to teach ways to build these lines of communications and inspire to implement new ways of sharing and establishing a comfortable working environment.
Leadership sharing and communication
Although learning in a traditional environment can be beneficial, an experiential approach to leadership training can also be highly effective. Watching and learning from other leaders alongside regular conversations around challenges and approaches to problem-solving can all support managers throughout their leadership journey.
Understanding context and exploring topics with other leaders in similar and more senior positions allows for knowledge sharing and ongoing development through all levels of managers.
Moreover, through the implementation of a knowledge sharing platform, such as a forum or social media group, can encourage leaders to share thoughts and ideas, offering the opportunity to learn from other peoples experiences and the ability to discuss issues as they arise and find the most effective solution to maximise the impact of the outcome.