How to Develop Leaders

U.S. businesses spend $170 billion – BILLION – on leadership development programs. Leadership matters. However, leadership doesn’t magically happen because of a role or title. Businesses fail when they assume managers are leaders.

A poor relationship with the boss is often cited as a reason why employees leave their jobs. Managers are typically advanced in their role because they have performed well and have an impressive background in their area of expertise. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean they will be a good manager and certainly does not indicate they will be a good leader.

In an article for Forbes, contributor Caroline Castrillon shares, “Effective managers are project-focused and might be described as organized and detail-oriented. On the other hand, dynamic leaders are visionaries who inspire teams to go above and beyond. A leader adapts their management style to the individual and can get the most out of each team member.”

Here are a few ways to develop managers into leaders:

• Create a culture of transparency.
  • Leaders are good communicators. They communicate often and take time to listen – a good leader doesn’t simply tell people what to do. They listen and respond to the needs and ideas of their team. They invite input rather than assume to know what is best. In a survey from Harvard Business School, 70% of employees said they are most engaged when management communicates openly.
• Empower employees.
  • To keep employees motivated and engaged, they need to feel empowered. If an employee performs well and shows potential for growth, the last thing they need is to be micromanaged. New managers especially have a difficult time delegating. A good leader recognizes their employees’ skills and capabilities and builds confidence by empowering them to do their jobs and ask for help when needed.
• Recognize wins big and small.
  • Good leaders are supportive and encouraging. Taking the time to recognize a job well done whether it was something said in a meeting or a project completed ahead of schedule, words of encouragement are motivating. Particularly for front-line workers who can feel overlooked without regular facetime with managers.

Contact us today to learn more about our modern approach to performance management and development that actually improves the manager and employee relationship. Don’t just take our word for it, see what our Customers have to say.