Is Your Leadership Development Program Failing?

In January 2014, the McKinsey Quarterly examined “Why Leadership Development Programs Fail”, which sparked an ongoing conversation about what companies are doing wrong — and right — in their leadership development efforts. To succeed moving forward, it’s essential to get leadership development right. Read on to learn more about what your company needs to do to develop the leaders it needs to thrive in the future.Why Leadership Development Programs Fail: Revolutionizing On-The-Job. Forbes: “Imagine if, within a couple of days after participating in a leadership program, a middle manager is approached by a colleague and invited to be a part of a new project. The project taps into aspects of the business she is most excited about, has the direct support of a top executive, and enables her to make strong contributions with minimal demands on her time. One large U.S. professional association engulfed its leadership development program participants in these kinds of opportunities. It deployed proactive invitations to help, multiple peer-driven projects for participants to choose from, and a drum-beat of communication that continuously fueled action. The consistent ‘pull’ of energized colleagues, cross-organizational focus of the work, and executive exposure all directly evoked specific skills that participants just learned.”We’re in a Leadership Development Crisis — Now What? Chief Learning Officer: “Invest where it makes a difference: Frontline: The first two management levels are most important for investment. Frontline leaders need skills to come fast, frequent and be accessible. Middle management: Middle managers have done without during tight times and are way behind in development as a result. They need training now to prepare for the challenges they will face at higher levels. Senior management: Senior leaders are not ready to move to the C-suite. Senior leader learning should be individualized for needed C-suite skills through 360-feedback, coaching, networking and mentoring younger managers. Individual contributors: Individuals, especially those who lead project teams, make up the fastest growing number of new leaders. Too often seen as a low priority and bypassed for development, flatter organizations require leadership throughout.”You Can’t Make Leaders Like You Make Sausage. LinkedIn: “Many corporations are not satisfied with their high potential leadership development programs. The problem for some organizations is that their approach is too linear and programmatic. You can’t make leaders the same way you make sausage. 1. A company should not define “high potentials” too rigidly. Managers know at a gut level who many of their high potentials are, including ones who may not fit the mold. 2. Developing high potentials should be a stand-alone program, not part of the mainstream leadership program. The C-suite needs special leaders, and prospects for the C-suite should be identified and trained differently.”Developing More and Better Regional Business-Civic Leaders. The Brookings Institution: “Growing a regional economy in ways that expand opportunity for all requires distinctive leadership skills that are different from managing a business or running a government agency. Currently, leaders with the requisite skills are in short supply. And when they move on, burn out, or pass away, they often leave a vacuum that is hard to fill….In the past, CEOs of large regional corporations, banks, and utilities embraced this role. But globalization has shifted CEOs’ focus outside their home regions, and mergers and acquisitions have thinned their ranks and shortened their tenure in any one region. As a result, the pool of high-level corporate leadership available to participate in regional partnerships is shallower, more transient, and less influential than in the past. Fortunately, there are some innovative efforts under way to develop the next generation of regional civic leaders from the business community. Those efforts focus on educating mid-level executives about the regional economy and plans for growth, engaging them in carrying out those plans, and building their capacity to sustain and expand this vital work as their own careers advance.”5 Companies That Have Mastered Leadership Development for Millennials. 21st Century Leadership Insights: “Millennials are always looking for new challenges and ways to let their creativity flow in the workplace. At Workday, a cloud-based provider of HR and finance software, the company seems to have perfected the balance between challenging work and a fun environment. In its Technology Services and Product Management rotational programs, Workday encourages its team members to try out different roles within the company to expand their working knowledge of the industry and their skill capabilities. They focus on career mentorship within these programs to help employees figure out what they are best at and what they really want to do with their careers. Workday will even send their employees overseas if the opportunity arises. The Services Development program prepares employees to become Workday consultants and enhances their knowledge of the company’s product line, as well as in areas such as public speaking and customer relations.” Success Labs is a leadership development and management consulting firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more than 25 years, our expert team of consultants has worked with hundreds of companies to explore their business potential and improve their company and cultural performance. Contact us to get proactive about your people strategy.