• 83% of organizations say it’s important to develop leaders at all levels, yet only 5% have actually implemented leadership development at all levels (Brandon Hall).
• Nearly HALF of new leaders do not receive any leadership training (Chief Learning Officer).
• 40% of new leaders fail in their first 18 months. Often the root cause is that they instinctively think that what made them successful before will make them successful in the new job (George Brandt, Forbes Magazine).

Can I just say: Sink or swim is NOT leadership development!

Without leadership development, new leaders are likely to lead the way they were led and that may NOT be a good thing!

All too often people are promoted to leadership because of seniority or their individual performance. Yet as indicated by the new leader failure rate, a new set of competencies is required to become an effective leader.

According to the Center for Creative Leadership, frontline leaders need to master the following competencies:

• Self-awareness
• Learning agility
• Communication
• Political savvy
• Motivating others
• Influencing outcomes

Although a new leader may already have some of these competencies, they are now accountable not just for their own work but also the work of others. They need to learn how to adapt to different personalities and communication styles, create a vision and roadmap to get there, resolve team conflict, give and receive feedback, and develop others. And this is where leadership development comes in.  

New leader training needs to be a key component of every organization’s learning and development plan. And it should not be just a one-day event around policies, performance reviews and disciplinary actions.  It needs to be structured in a way that gives participants time to apply their learning, receive feedback, and get the ongoing support necessary (mentoring, coaching) to grow into the next line of senior leaders and executives.

Here’s another stat for you. Only 11% of surveyed organizations said they have a “strong” or “very strong” leadership bench, according to a 2021 Development Dimensions International (DDI) Global Leadership Forecast. 

Don’t neglect your bench!

Check out our Keep it Real Leadership Program and register for one of the upcoming sessions.

Build your bench strength, grow your business!

Till next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Leadership Development for New Leaders is a Must! appeared first on PeopleThink.

In a review of these lists there are several core competencies that bubble to the top: strategic thinking, effective communication, a desire to develop others, decision making, creating a vision, ability to have tough conversations. All important leadership competencies.

Yet here’s the thing.

If there’s no trust, none of these other competencies matter. If people don’t trust you – and you don’t demonstrate that you trust them – there is no reason for them to follow you anywhere.

Stephen Covey said, “Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It brings out the very best in people.”

People are often thrown into leadership roles with little or no training or mentorship. Sink or swim. While trying to stay afloat with their new responsibilities and expectations, many struggle with how to behave in their new role. How to establish themselves as a leader.

My advice is: Step 1: Build trust.

Here’s how.

Be willing to put in the work. Know that trust takes time to build and must be earned. Don’t expect people to trust you just because you are now their leader. Be sure that your actions align with your words and that you tell the truth. Always. Remember that trust can be easily broken and is very difficult to repair.

Communicate honestly. Communicate clearly and regularly. Share as much as you can, especially about business information that may impact the team or their work. Listen. Ask for feedback, ideas, solutions. Model open, honest and respectful communication so the team will mirror that among themselves.

Be accountable. Do what you say you are going to do. Be sure everyone clearly understands expectations and the impact of not meeting those expectations. Challenge your team to higher performance goals and establish an environment where they hold themselves – and each other – accountable for results.  Include regular progress reports, open sharing of mistakes and lessons learned, and team discussions on how to move through roadblocks.

Be consistent. Don’t keep changing the rules or make rules apply to some and not to others. When something changes, explain why and encourage a dialogue around it. Oh, and did I say, “listen”?

Model the behavior. To earn trust, you must show trust. Set clear goals and expectations and then trust your team to do what they were hired to do.  When something goes wrong, get all the facts before drawing a conclusion. Respond in a constructive, consistent way.

Be truthful. Always. Trust is the key ingredient to all successful relationships. Tell the truth. As my Dad used to say, “One lie leads to another, and before you know it, you’ve forgotten the first lie you told.”

“Contrary to what most people believe, trust is not some soft, illusive quality that you either have or you don’t; rather, trust is a pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create.” – Stephen Covey

Till next time, keep it real.

Karen

The post Trust: The First Step in Becoming a Leader appeared first on PeopleThink.

The reasons vary. “Concerns over the company’s marketing practices.” (Juul). “Pressured profit margins and stagnating sales.” (EBay). “A badly mangled IPO process.” (WeWork). And a variety of other performance and lack of leadership issues.

Of course, as we all know, this “leadership recession” as the article describes it, doesn’t confine itself to the corporate world. We see it in front of us every…single…day.

I think it’s time for a leadership makeover, and I think it begins with effectively developing new and advancing leaders – raising the bar for what we expect from them and lowering the bar for the behaviors we will tolerate. Yes, we want good performance (numbers!) but not at the expense of ethics, employees, the environment, lives.

All too often individuals are put into leadership positions based on their good performance as an individual contributor or their seniority with the company. They are then thrown into a “sink or swim” situation with minimal if any leadership training.

My surveys and conversations with leaders have consistently shown that formal leadership development often doesn’t kick in until middle management or executive level. In fact, research shows that the bulk of leadership development dollars are spent on senior leadership development. By that time any bad habits developed over the years (or modeled after another, not necessarily good leader) are ingrained.

Let’s start now developing the leaders we need to take our companies, large and small, into the future. Frame the development on a foundation of integrity, trust and accountability. Teach new leaders that achieving the numbers is important, but that it should not be at the expense of ethical behavior or of employees. Provide them with the resources, coaching and growth they need and make it clear that as leaders they need to do the same for their teams.

Inspire them to be bold, and to always do what they say they’re going to do. Develop leaders who can create a vision and motivate others to work toward that vision. Stress the importance of continuous learning (John Wooden said, “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”), always saying “please and thank you” and making time for fun. And, of course, teach them to communicate – early, often, and honestly. And remember, communication includes listening!

Look around your organization. Do you have leaders that you look up to and want to learn from? Or do you also have a leadership recession? How does that impact you? Think about it.

Till next time,

Karen

The post It’s Time for a Leadership Makeover appeared first on PeopleThink.

As I discussed in my last blog, Sink or Swim is Not Leadership Development, all too often new leaders are thrown into the role and left to their own devices for answers to these questions. Expectations are not clarified until the unspoken goes unmet. No preparation for the change in peer relationships and broader accountability. And the answer to “how do I lead?” usually becomes, “the way I’ve been led,” which isn’t necessarily the path to success.

Organizations need to give new leaders a strong start with a well-defined and consistently implemented leadership development program. In the course of my career, I’ve created and delivered many leadership initiatives. Here are what I’ve found to be “best practices” when developing new leaders.

Duration. Conduct the training over at least a 6-month period to allow for shorter sessions, application of new learning, and feedback. Learning is a process, not an event.

Mentor. Each new leader should have a seasoned leader mentor. Ideally, this is someone other than their immediate leader.

Commitment. Both the new leader and their immediate leader sign a contract committing to the development program. The new leader to participate and complete it, the immediate leader to support and reinforce the learning.

Regularly scheduled short workshops. These can be weekly or bi-weekly, but should be regularly scheduled over the course of the program and a priority for all involved. (This is where the commitment comes in). For weekly workshops, I recommend two hours on the same day each week. For bi-weekly, you may want to go a little bit longer. Topics should be built around what it means to be a leader in your organization – expectations and responsibilities, managing vs. leading. I also recommend including sessions on effective communication, resolving conflict, team building, coaching employees, and transitioning from peer to leader.

Self-discovery workshop. The best leaders are self-aware. Giving new leaders the opportunity to understand themselves – how they communicate, how they interact, how they are likely to lead – early on, increases the likelihood that they will adapt successfully to the role. I use the Lumina Spark assessment for this. Done in a workshop setting, it also helps leaders gain a better understanding of others, which will help them successfully lead the individuals on their teams.

Individual Development Plans. Throughout the program, participants should be receiving regular feedback from their immediate leader as well as guidance and feedback from their mentor. Upon graduation from the program, each participant should work with his/her leader to identify strengths and development areas to create a 12-month IDP.

A few other components I’ve also used in the past with positive results are: a syllabus of reading materials – books, white papers, articles, on leadership topics; having participants work in teams to research and present on one of the topics outlined in the program; and creating a “New Leader Forum” where new leaders get together to share issues and ideas, with alternating senior leader facilitators.

“Winning companies win because they have good leaders who nurture the development of other leaders at all levels of the organization.” — Noel Tichy

Till next time,

Karen

The post Giving New Leaders a Strong Start appeared first on PeopleThink.

A cover story last month in the San Francisco Business Times entitled, “From Boomers to Bust?” suggested that “the pace of retirements among baby boomers is about to explode, and it has big consequences for the Bay Area Economy and its workforce.” The impact will be felt more in the Bay Area, the article says, because in addition to the population being older in the region than the rest of California, “the area is in the process of adding more than 1 million jobs by 2040, with talent shortages already a factor across a range of industries.”

Nationwide, an estimated 10,000 boomers a day celebrate their 65^th birthday.  And according to Gallup, by 2029, 20% of the population will be over 65. Clearly, companies have some serious workforce planning to do, especially those with an older employee base.

That being said, if we look at this situation through the lens of possibilities, I see some real opportunities for both boomers and those who would follow in their footsteps.

While many boomers are anxious to leave the pace and politics of corporate life, not all of them dream of replacing that with more leisurely pursuits. In fact, quite a few plan to keep working in some capacity – either for financial reasons or for a sense of purpose.  If this applies to you, then get busy preparing to capture the possibilities. This might be any of the following or none of them (leisure on!). You’re at a place where it’s entirely up to you. Here are some possibilities:

• • Work with your current employer to reduce hours or create a more flexible schedule
  • Become a mentor to help prepare the next line of leaders
  • Turn your hobby into a side business (e.g., become a small space gardener)
  • Leverage the skills you’ve built over the years and consult
  • Volunteer for a cause that’s important to you

For those who are just starting out or are several years into their career, the exodus of baby boomers can open doors (and windows!) of opportunity, especially in leadership. The key is to have a growth mindset (always be learning) and to leverage some tips from the Year of Possibilities framework:

Pay attention to what’s around you. Where are the opportunities? What do you need to do to get there? Take a personal skill /behavior inventory. Get feedback from others. Use it!

Listen…really listen. Think about a team or department leader you admire. Set up an informational interview to gain knowledge and insight on how to lead successfully in the organization. Listen and take notes. Create an action plan. Implement it.

Dream Big. If you don’t dream for yourself, no one else will.  You don’t want a “regret list,” you want a “possibility list.”  Say what you want out loud.  Tell your friends, family and partner.  The more you say it, the more real it becomes.

And whether you’re a boomer or movin’ on up, don’t stop believin’!

Till next time,

Karen

The post Possibilities Abound as Baby Boomers Retire appeared first on PeopleThink.

To get a closer view on what’s happening in corporate today, PeopleThink interviewed human resources professionals across a variety of industries – hi-tech, biotech, professional services, architecture, nonprofit and healthcare. Despite differences in their core businesses, when it comes to the people component, there were a number of common themes that emerged:  keeping employees engaged and motivated, retaining top talent, having the right people in the right positions, and ensuring that there is sufficient “bench strength” for the next line of leadership.  Here are some of their comments.

“We need to continue to invest in the people infrastructure. Our employees need to have development plans in place so they can see there is a future with the organization.”

“We have to put the needs and future of our organization first, and then plan backwards: provide development and promotion opportunities; recruit the right talent.”

“Build the talent road map. What will the organization’s people needs be one to three years out? What competencies? What level of employees? Build the talent plan to move, grow and flex with the organization’s business needs.”

“It’s important to maintain company culture. One of the things I hear on a regular basis is that people want to work here because of the culture and how employees are treated. It comes from the top. How we treat people is how we keep our people.”

“Each leader of the organization needs to have a successor they are training and preparing for the next role. Leadership can be viewed as a second-tier component of the business; however, what we know is that without strong leadership, the organization will not be able to sustain its growth.”

The clear message is that organizations need to recognize that their people are the lifeblood of the business. Don’t take your employees for granted. As the economy continues to improve and there are options for them elsewhere, you want to keep those employees in your organization.  Find creative ways to develop and challenge them. Let them know they are valued, and that they are a critical component to the business moving forward.  Build succession plans to ensure that your bench strength is available and ready to grow the business.

And most of all, don’t forget the old adage…treat your employees the way you want to be treated. It will pay off in leaps and bounds in the future.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Invest in Your People – Invest in Your Future appeared first on PeopleThink.

Companies succeed in large part because of strong leadership. And yet, according to a recent ASTD (American Society for Training and Development) study, less than half of the companies surveyed had plans in place to ensure ongoing leadership strength. Of those who did have succession plans in place, only 14% characterized their succession plans as effective.

Effective succession planning involves four key steps:

1. Identify the critical talent needed – key skills and competencies
2. Create individual development plans for high potential employees, based on the key skills and competencies needed, and connect those plans to corporate goals
3. Communicate the succession plan to targeted individuals so they know they have a stake in the future of the company and vice versa
4. Validate and improve the program through employee feedback and measurable results

As companies focus less on how to survive and more on how to thrive, succession planning becomes a key strategic lever. Knowledge and wisdom from leaders need to be transferred to those on the bench. High potential employees need to be retained and developed to guide the organization to the next level. And a plan for continually supplying the leadership pipeline needs to become a part of the culture.

Succession planning is not a nice to have. It is a must have.

Till next time,

Karen

The post Building Your Bench Strength – The 4 Key Steps appeared first on PeopleThink.