Developing Emerging Leaders For Success
Several years ago, I worked in an organization that was very well-respected, but with a really long ramp-up time when it came to implementing truly innovative, meaningful change. At one point in my time there, my division went through an organizational restructuring. As part of this, a colleague and friend, Michelle, was given the opportunity to move up in her department and become a manager. Michelle, first and foremost, was just a great human being. She had already been at the organization for a few years before I came on board, so she brought a wealth of skill, knowledge, and experience to her new role. She had a proven history of developing trusting relationships with colleagues across the organization, whether inside our division or within the larger organization, as a team player and someone who partnered with them to meet their needs. She was a loyal, hard-working employee who brought her best for the organization every day. I was happy for her to receive this opportunity for advancement within the organization, but I was also worried that she had not received any real opportunities for professional development that would foster growth in the specific skill and mindsets of leading others - especially those that had been her peers just a few days prior and were now her direct reports.
During my time at this organization, we lacked a dedicated program and opportunities to support the growth of future or emerging leaders. Instead, leadership development was reserved for those that were currently in a role with direct reports. Does this sound familiar? Have you seen this in any organizations that you’ve been a part of, or have you personally walked in Michelle’s shoes?
Michelle’s story was not new to me. Having worked in the Talent Development industry for a number of years, I had asked this question in several settings and never really received a satisfactory response: “If you want to lead people, but you’re not in that position now, how do you gain the skills you need to be considered for leadership roles?” No one seemed to have figured it out at that point, which was several years ago now, and sadly, I haven’t seen much evidence of forward momentum. Therefore, my calling as a leadership development coach is to focus on the growth and development of our future leaders - not the men and women currently occupying the C-Suite, but the ones that will be in the C-Suite in the coming years. My goal is to bring an end to the cycle of thrusting leadership roles upon people and renew the culture of work by investing in development of future leaders.
The skillset and mindset to engage and empower people and advance the mission and vision of the organization are different from the skills and mindset of being a team player or independent contributor. There is certainly cross-over, but there are additional skills that leaders need to leverage for success. Is it possible to learn them yourself or develop them in others? Absolutely, although it sometimes requires designing creative opportunities. If you have been the person in Michelle’s shoes, how did you develop your leadership skills?
Are you an emerging leader? How are you developing yourself or what types of development opportunities are you receiving within your organization? Here are some questions to consider:
How does leading others fit into your long-term career goals/journey?
What does an engaging and empowering leader look and feel like to you?
What are the skills and strengths that you feel are important to be an engaging and empowering leader?
Which of those skills and strengths do you feel you currently bring to your leadership skillset?
Which of those skills and strengths do you feel you need to develop?
If you’ve been thrust into a leadership position already, what tools and resources do you need to be able to lead successfully while also navigating the competing priorities of managing/delivering the work of the team and setting vision?
How will you know if you’re leading successfully? Not just in metrics important to the organization, but also in metrics related to your own personal goals?
What questions do you have about your own emerging leader journey, or creating an emerging leader journey at your organization? You’re welcome to share them here, or I’m always up for a virtual coffee chat!
