Developing an Organizational Leadership Program

Learn the keys to successfully establish a top-tier development program for your organization.

While many organizations have leadership development programs, only seven percent describe their programs as best in class, according to Harvard Business Publishing research. This statistic makes it clear that many current leadership development programs may ultimately be failing both the leaders who participate in them and their organizations. Also, one out of every two individuals who fills a position of leadership fails; failure is defined as a lack of goal accomplishment. (Source: Hogan & Hogan). Creating a world-class leadership development program starts with equipping leaders with the specific skills, tools, and behaviors they will need to confidently lead others and drive the performance of their organization. It is the senior leadership's responsibility to invest, develop, and grow organizational leaders. This will ensure those leaders are adequately equipped to inspire, motivate, and engage the workforce. Constructing a solid framework for leadership development is the much-needed answer to achieving organizational goals. Getting the best out of your workforce starts with ensuring leaders have the proficiencies to make this happen. Good leadership develops through a never-ending process of self-study, education, training, experience, observation, and emulation. Leadership competencies that will result in the continuous improvement necessary for your organization to focus on the skills critical for success at each level of leadership include Leading Self - individual contributors, professional staff, and emerging leaders; Leading Others - leaders of individual contributors; Leading Managers - experienced leaders who lead other managers; Leading the Function - senior leaders of organizational functions or divisions; and Leading the Organization - top executives leading the enterprise. This class will focus on understanding, designing, and implementing an organizational leadership development program. The discussion will demonstrate that a systematic and enduring effort to develop current and future leaders is a source of competitive advantage that can be brought to life only if the organization's executive leadership sees it as an integral part of its responsibility.