Leadership Development Trends: Top Picks for 2015

A look back at our most-read blog posts of 2015 reveals that organizations are looking for concrete steps they can use to develop employees and build leaders. And a theme runs through them: preparation. Preparing people to step into new roles and preparing organizations to move through changes in leadership is part of the most important work you can do as a manager.Check out these popular posts for some ideas to get started.Starting the Conversation. It’s clear that managers and employers want to have discussions with employees about their career development goals, but need help getting started. These questions about career development, organizational awareness and action steps to take are an excellent resource for managers who want to start developing employees, and employees who want to take their career into their own hands.Share the Knowledge. This post wrapped up a two-part series on knowledge transfer plans, a key step in succession planning. Getting young managers up to speed as they move into new leadership role takes a lot of preparation, and one of the most important steps is transferring the organizational knowledge the person leaving the position has. It’s a bigger process than simply scheduling an hour-long conversation, so put together a plan to make it happen. We revisited the topic in the post “Succession Planning: What’s at Stake.”Finding Mentors. As part of our Leadership Journeys series, we talked to Julie Laperouse, director of talent development at the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce, about where she gets leadership advice and the importance of having mentors. “I have a few mentors, but I don’t think they actually know they are my mentors,” she says. “They are business associates who have become friends who I respect tremendously. These women are who I go to for career advice, suggestions about my community involvement and glasses of wine with a side of how-am-I-going-to-do-this?”We loved what Julie had to say about working through barriers to effective leadership: “If you surround yourself with talented people, then don’t allow them to use their talents, you’ll lose them. The most effective leaders I’ve worked with know going into a project that there’s a possibility that they don’t have all the answers. They engage the people around them and are serious about considering alternative paths to a goal — or a different goal altogether.”Making the Transition. This post provides a quick overview on how to put together a 90-day transition plan for employees who get promoted. Establishing alignment, encouraging connections and targeting key stakeholders will help people in new positions find their feet and be more effective. The most important step? Providing feedback throughout the process, so the employee can correct course and improve performance.2015 Leadership Trends: Shared responsibility, transparency and feedback were all on the list of trends for 2015. We’ve seen a lot of that in our work with clients as they strive to build better leaders and make their organizations more effective. What’s on tap for 2016? We’ll be hearing a lot about the “leadership gap” as baby boomers speed up their retirement rate, as well as the importance of developing and fostering grit and resilience in the workplace. We’re looking forward to it!Looking for ways to develop your employees in 2016? Contact us to learn about our leadership development and coaching offerings.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.