Creating future leaders is a slow and steady process that requires calculated effort and time. Some leaders have inane skills to lead, prosper and be an example for others. However, a majority of the leadership skill has to be trained through practical knowledge and effective management strategies. 

The growth of an organisation is not an individual effort. It requires the mission and vision of the organisation to be instilled in every individual working in the organisation. The CEO or the owner of an enterprise single-handedly cannot decide an organisation’s future. Keeping business strategies and leadership models in mind, It takes the collective business decisions of all the organisational units to move forward in one direction to achieve business outcomes. Be it African leaders or business executives in San Francisco, training for professional development is key for building different models of leadership. 

A Model for Growth and Development 

Leadership programs are the smartest and most precise way to turn an employee into an emerging leader. Creating a generation of leaders is no easy job, and the process should address leadership concerns from the ground level. Nurturing takes time, as you would understand if you have a pet or have grown plants. Giving the right amount of attention at the right time is inevitable. Ensuring that your employees access resources and skills at the right time helps an organisation scale up.

An emerging leader will be elemental in carrying out enormous reforms for the organisation’s betterment. Successful leaders will have the calibre to handle areas where the higher-level management cannot reach out consistently. 

Employee Development Programs to Create Better Leaders

Monitoring and Guidance

Many organisations assume that their new workforce is already well equipped. Such expectations lead to disappointment and frustration between the employees and the higher management.

Before stepping into a leadership role, corporate leaders should understand that not all leaders are born but are developed. Senior employees should step down from being boss and aspire to become self-driven leaders. An emerging leader does more than command the subordinates. Future leaders will always act above his ego by keeping his long goal in mind while working with coworkers. Successful leaders don’t hesitate to go out of the way to show the path to peers.

A well-organised programme helps staff members gain the skills they will need for professional development and pass the acquired skills to the next set of the workforce. Letting them experience all management aspects comes from a deep understanding of how the system works. Such mentorship programmes expose them to observing and learning from peer leaders. A leadership program should be a model of the open-minded and collaborative aspect of learning for skill sharing.

What is the next step toward teaching them leadership skills?

Role of Soft Skill Training 

Being in leadership roles lays much greater things of importance than institutional knowledge alone. Organisations hiring young talent with only high academic achievement and previous work experience will have a long way to go to get them ready to lead others in the same line of work.

Soft skills are not considered an additional qualification anymore. It is looked into carefully by many leading organisations as one of the primary skills and as a scope for making strategic business decisions and moving up the hierarchy. Soft skills for leadership fellowship are a way of:

•  creating leadership teams within the organisation
•  developing solid relationships with peer leaders
•  carrying the mission of the organisation forward
•  being a role model or mentor for young talent to look upto and reach out to
•  playing an essential role in decision making 

And so on.

Annual meetings and interactive workshops in leadership programs train individuals to realise their skills and need to work on being part of a high-functioning leadership team. Sometimes scrutinising annual meetings to regular monthly conferences from proven and successful leaders can deliver hands-on learning and experience. Delegates from around the same departmental network can communicate on building skills and associations with successful leaders inside and outside the organisation.

Nurturing Young Talent

Promising young leaders serve their organisations in numerous ways and for decades to come. Fostering an adaptable work atmosphere retains skilled employees. A workplace can include individuals as young as 18 or 19 when proven in their technical knowledge.

Each organisation will have its management style attributed to its efficiency and ways of communication. Dominant work culture will never last and will cause talented employees to jump to those that suffice. Flexibility and inclusiveness foster a happy and dedicated workforce willing to work to their maximum potential for the organisation’s benefit. Youngsters should be able to visualise themselves as a part of the organisation’s long term plan to see their reach in career development opportunities. Study shows that 73% of employees want flexible work options to stick around long term.

Millennials expect accommodative work cultures for a solid work-life balance. Being straightforward with changeable norms like dress code, tech trends or break sessions and not imposing stringent deadlines provides an encouraging and safe space for the young to work enthusiastically and peacefully.

What Organisations Should Avoid?

Leadership and employee development programs fail due to the following reasons:

• Old systems and practices

Failed leadership management strategies result from systems that haven’t adapted to newer and revolutionary practices. Regular upgrades create competent team member development.

•  Programs that are not accessible to everyone

Sometimes, employees in the lower hierarchy level are left out of quality programs that leave them with less scope to grow. In the chase for power and materialism, senior leaders of organisations hinder the growth of talented employees from growing beyond them in fear of losing their position and opportunity.

• Inconsistent development programs

Career development opportunities should focus on real change and business development purposes, rather than corporate leaders believing in coaching company wide to get the work done. Leaders should focus on the growth of individuals as social justice and not for ulterior motives for the organisation’s or their growth within the organisation. 

Emerging Leader: Taking the Baton to Move Ahead

People trained and developed with practical knowledge, skills, and attitudes will be confident to showcase their talent and move far ahead with their performance. So a company’s strategies should have a wide range of training programs that can sell to the new workforce and develop their competencies.