Leadership development program

1. L E A D E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T
P R O G R A M

2. "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more,
do more and become more, you are a leader." - John
Quincy Adams

3. W H AT I S L E A D E R S H I P
D E V E L O P M E N T P R O G R A M
• Leadership development is a program that is implemented to widen the capacity of
individuals to perform efficiently in headship roles within an organization. It focuses on
developing and honing professionals’ abilities to take on critical responsibilities in an
organization, such as designing and executing business strategies, building alignment
and helping others with career growth. The development programs also help employees
understand what not to do as a leader.

4. W H AT D O E S A L E A D E R S H I P
D E V E L O P M E N T P R O G R A M I N V O LV E
• Context of leadership: A leadership development program should focus on strengthening the ties between individual
employees and the company. Before creating a leadership development program for a group of employees, it is essential to
understand their goals and identify why they want to develop leadership traits. The leadership development program should be
designed around the strengths and goals of an employee.
• Experiential learning: The objective of setting up a leadership development program is to help budding leaders understand
leadership theories and their practical implementation. Hence, it is important that the programs incorporate experiential learning
because it can not only retain employees but also better convey the leadership concepts to employees.
• Acceptance to change: Change is not always welcomed with open arms and it is no different in a work setting. When
employees are trained to take on leadership roles, it is important that trainers encourage them to adapt to the change in
responsibilities and rise to the occasion. The leadership development should include experiences that can assist participants in
overcoming the resistance to change.
• Constructive feedback: Since employees will be entering a new horizon in their professional life, it is important that they
receive qualitative and quantitative feedback to gauge their progress. Employees should be aware of how their leadership
progress is influencing their business operations. Trainers should ensure that the feedback given to participants is constructive
and helps them work on the skill gaps that might exist.

5. I M P O R TA N C E O F L E A D E R S H I P
D E V E L O P M E N T P R O G R A M S
• The benefits of leadership development programs are countless. However, the key lies in
creating a development program that matches the work culture and aims at reducing the
leadership gaps within an organization.
• Today, organizations are not only looking for leadership abilities among applicants, but
also the ability to nurture new leaders who can contribute to the organization’s goals.
• The responsibility of creating the leaders of tomorrow lies with the leaders of today.

6. • One of the major advantages of leadership development programs is that they have a
positive influence on the productivity of employees;
• They can enhance employee engagement and help create leaders that can effectively
lead teams;
• They create a positive work culture, encouraging more employees to learn at the job and
work towards acquiring leadership roles;
• Effective leaders help businesses develop unique and efficient strategies that can drive
organizations to new heights;
• They help create a positive image of the leadership, giving emerging leaders an example
to live by.

7. H O W T O C R E AT E A N E F F E C T I V E
L E A D E R S H I P D E V E L O P M E N T
P R O G R A M
Step 1: Define the leadership goals of the organization
• To create efficient and smart leaders, it is essential that they have complete knowledge
and understanding of the leadership goals set by the organization. The foundational
element of an effective leadership program is to clearly chalk out leadership goals.
Furthermore, it is also important that the development program is created after factoring
in the leadership gaps within an organization. For instance, if someone in the senior
leadership team is quitting or retiring, the leadership program should focus on the
attributes and characteristics that the business would miss. The development program
should also be designed around the organization’s short-term and long-term strategic
goals.

8. Step 2: Focus on development
• While the objective of leadership development programs is to train professionals in
developing leadership skills, the approach should not be training-centric. It is essential to
create a leadership program where employees are encouraged to develop the skills
rather than being trained. Leaders must be nurtured and cannot be manufactured. The
structure of the program should present participants with learning opportunities that allow
them to grow as leaders. It should include important elements such as collaboration,
mentoring and organizational planning. This will help participants to acquire skills that
can help them become efficient leaders.

9. Step 3: Identify potential leaders
• Identifying potential leaders is not an easy task to accomplish. While focusing on the top
performers might seem the right thing to do, it won’t necessarily turn out to be the right
decision. If an individual is an exceptional performer and has high productivity, it does not
always mean that they will be good leaders. The traits of a leader are not synonymous
with those of a good performer. When creating a leadership development program, it is
important to scout beyond the obvious choices and explore more possibilities. It is
essential that the chosen few have the potential and will to evolve as leaders within the
organization.

10. Step 4: Gauging performance
• This is an integral element in the creation of an effective leadership development
program. It is important to chalk out the factors that would decide the success and impact
of the program. Some of the factors that can contribute to measuring the success of a
program include:
Number of employees who complete the leadership program successfully;
Number of successful promotions among the employees who participated in the
program; and
Effectiveness of the employees’ leadership abilities.