Episode 3 Tip #2 - Overcoming Blind Sides: Taking A Holistic Approach to Developing Future Leaders

In this podcast, the host discusses the importance of developing strong leaders in today's competitive business environment. Traditional methods of identifying potential leaders are often insufficient, so a more holistic approach is needed. The host recommends four steps for identifying and developing future leaders: identifying potential leaders based on qualities like communication skills and emotional resilience, assessing their skills and abilities in more detail, utilizing leader makers who nurture and develop the next generation of leaders, and creating a supportive environment for their growth. Additional tips include looking for leaders who are willing to take risks, build relationships, and have a clear vision of the future. Providing feedback and encouragement is also important for their development. By following these tips, organizations can create a culture of leadership and retain top talent. I'm your host, Laura Perez Earhart. Welcome to Coachonomics Presents Podcast, a part of the ECS Network. This is our mini bite series. Tip number two is about overcoming blindsides and taking a more holistic approach to developing your successors and future leaders. Let's face it, folks. In today's competitive business environment, it's more important than ever to have strong leaders in place. Leaders are more adept at motivating and inspiring their teams, including others outside of their teams. Leaders who make sound decisions, solve problems effectively, are essential factors to the success of any organization. However, and this is the however part, finding and developing those new leaders can be a challenge. Let's face it, folks. Traditional methods of identifying potential leaders, such as looking for high-performing employees, are often not enough. In today's landscape, we need to up our game. So a more holistic approach is needed that considers a variety of factors, including skills, performance, experience, personality, people skills, motivation, including emotional resilience. So here are some approaches I recommend taking to identifying and developing your next generation of new leaders. And it involves the following four steps. The first step is identifying those potential leaders, which is an important part of ensuring that your company is focused on inclusion, equity, and diversity for all. So the first step here is to identify those potential leaders within your organization. This can be done by looking for employees who have the following qualities. Strong communication skills. The ability to motivate and inspire others. Having a strong emotional resilience. The ability to make sound decisions. The ability to solve problems effectively. Those who can work well with others. And the ability to manage stress, and this includes stressful situations. And finally, of course, having a positive attitude. Number two is around assessing potential leaders. Once you've identified those new future leaders, you need to assess their skills and abilities in a bit more detail. This will pay off in so many ways and is worth the investment and time of resources. This can be done through a variety of methods, such as interviews, performance reviews, and leadership assessments, such as a 360. Number three, if your organization has leader makers, fantastic, you're just that much further ahead of the game. A leader maker is someone who takes on the responsibility of developing and nurturing the next generation of leaders. They do this by providing guidance, support, and opportunities for growth. They prepare development opportunities. They understand the importance of developing their stakeholders for future success and work with them to develop a growth plan. Additionally, they give up-and-coming leaders a roadmap to be successful. And this can be done through a variety of methods, such as training programs, leadership coaching, mentoring programs, or stretch assignments. Additionally, a leader maker encourages seeking a qualified professional, such as executive or leadership coach, who can help develop the individual and further their leadership competencies and they're equipped to work with different personality traits to enhance their skill sets and behaviors. And then finally, number four, this is where you want to consider creating a supportive environment for your future leaders to grow and develop. This means providing them with resources they need, such as time, money, and training. It also means creating an environment where they feel championed and encouraged. So, here's some additional tips for identifying those new leaders. Number one, look for leaders who are willing to take some risks and try new things. So, by challenging these future leaders, you can see what lies beneath the surface. There are so many additional skill sets you may not have been aware of and is an added value to their preparedness as future leaders. And also, look for leaders who are able to build meaningful relationships and work well with others. Others above them, below them, inside the organization, including outside the organization. So, you're also looking for continuity and consistency in characteristics and leadership style. Additionally, look for leaders who are passionate about their work and have a clear vision of the future. And finally, give leaders feedback and encouragement. Their development is not a one and done. Don't wait for those annual performance reviews. Providing real-time feedback is a gift and helps leaders at all levels to see how others perceive them and helps them to identify opportunities for improvement sooner rather than later. Additionally, this is where you can also encourage self-development. So, by following these tips, you can create a culture of leadership within your organization that will help you achieve your goals while you're retaining top talent and creating a company that is future ready. Thank you.