• 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.

For new leaders, one of the barriers that frequently pops up is the fear of failure. The thrill of the opportunity can be tempered by the self-inflicted pressure to be perfect.

What if I make a wrong decision? What if I can’t achieve all that’s expected of me? What if someone on the team doesn’t think I’m up to the job? What if I’m NOT perfect?

Here’s what I say to that. No one is perfect. In fact, perfection is debilitating. And trying to attain it can leave you at the station while the train is speeding forward.

So, how do you get past the fear?

Remember that leadership is a learning journey. Learning from others, learning from experience, and learning from mistakes. Give yourself permission to make mistakes. Then learn from them. 

Be real to keep it real. Practice transparency. Admit your mistakes and share what you’ve learned from them with your team. Give them the freedom to take risks and to learn from their own mistakes. Those lessons learned spark creativity, new ideas, and new approaches. Rare is the innovation that isn’t the result of multiple failures.

Remember that you don’t have to have all the answers. Lean on others for their expertise. Ask good questions. Listen.

Acknowledge that although you may not be the smartest person in the room, you know how to hire the smartest people in the room. Focus on building a team with diverse and complementary skills and creating an environment of mutual learning and respect.

Becoming the leader you want to be takes time. Leadership is a set of competencies. Be patient. Allow yourself the cycles to get it right. Be authentic. And keep learning.

To learn more, check out our Let’s TAWK Leadership podcast with Susan Montz, AVP Performance Improvement, Ochsner Health Network.

Till next time. Keep it real.

Karen

The post Leaders: It’s Okay Not to Be Perfect appeared first on PeopleThink.