This week I was speaking to a friend about leadership, and he made the comment, “The fact that someone is a good person doesn’t automatically mean they will be a good manager.” Simple statement. Big idea.
And he’s right. Leadership skills matter. Good leadership not only fosters organizational growth, but also improves employee satisfaction and retention. But bad leadership—especially poor management skills—can drive employees away.
The question for most companies is: How can we train our leaders to become more effective in their roles? And how can we develop the next generation of leaders who will be stepping into management positions?
According to Harvard Business Review, leadership training initiatives struggle to get off the ground for six reasons:
In other words, poor leadership begets poor leadership. You can train about leadership all you want, but if those in top roles are not practicing it you won’t see positive results.
So what’s the key to better leadership training? It’s creating a comprehensive talent development approach that starts with the senior team and flows through every process down to the newest team member on the job.
In a study of productive employees, Gallup found that great workplaces share several traits in common. These employees agree with statements like these about their jobs:
These are all references to effective leadership. But it’s not just about lucking out with good managers. It’s about building a leadership culture.
Here are five ways to get it done:
The leadership team should have a clear vision for the company. Where are you heading and how will you get there? If the leaders don’t have it, the employees certainly won’t, and that breeds confusion and conflicting priorities.
Productive, engaged employees report that being asked about their progress is a key factor in job satisfaction. That’s because it lets them know that someone is invested in their success and willing to offer help. A coaching management style facilitates communication and emphasizes relationships over task management, creating an environment where employees can realize their potential.
Leadership training programs can take the form of on-site classes or workshops, or eLearning programs built into your employee portal. Your HCMS most likely has a built-in training module where you can upload company training videos or courses and assign them for completion as a part of orientation or professional development.
Investing in employees can also take the form of conferences or leadership retreats that drill down into the nuts and bolts of effective leadership. These opportunities are most effective when the business culture supports and practices the ideas being taught and the employee has the opportunity to interact with others about what they’ve learned.
One of the most important things you can do to encourage professional growth and engagement in your employees is to offer frequent, specific feedback. Don’t make performance reviews a once-a-year relic. There are many new tools on the market to improve the review process including mobile alerts, 360 reviews, customizable rating systems, gamification elements, journal entries, and more. Take advantage of these tools to build a review process that provides actionable insight both for employees and managers.
If your retention rates aren’t as good as you would like them to be, take a look at your management practices. It’s a common reason employees jump ship, and investing in more effective leadership training may be the catalyst you need to build a more productive, satisfied team.