Leadership development is as good as a financial investment in your own business. It is what will take your business from being average or just good to being great.
It entails being very aware of each member of the team's potential. In other words, you need to know your staff very well and be able to identify the potential leaders within a group of people. This entails close observation of their behaviour on a regular basis in different situations and emotional states.
When the potential leader rises from a group of individuals, you need to act fast and acknowledge it before you lose that member. Leaders are restless in nature and will move on if they are not developed.
Why is leadership development important to a company?
For any company to reach its potential it needs people that will take it to the next level of competence and succession.
Many businesses are the result of an individual with a good idea. Most of these businesses fade away with the original member due to the lack of leadership needed during a crucial stage of the development of that business. Developing leaders within an organisation is not a priority that can wait until later, but needs to be instilled from when the business had two, three or four staff members. Some of the best leaders will come from within your organisation.
Why is it important to an advertising or branding agency in particular?
In an industry that is renowned for high staff turnover and where agencies try and hold onto clients for as long as possible, one needs leaders that can keep relationships stable. Leaders will be able to identify when things are not going well and make the necessary adjustments both internally and externally to avoid disaster.
Agencies can grow from four to 40 staff members overnight and this is when great leadership is needed to manage change and relationships.
Should all employees be developed as leaders?
Not all employees will become leaders, although all employees have the ability to become a leader at something. Each member of a team is a 10 at something and it is this skill that needs to be developed. When you force an average member of a team into a position that requires a great leader, you will always just have average to weak leaders because the average leader cannot develop leaders better than him or herself.
If not, how do you choose which employees to invest in?
Choosing the employees to invest in is the easy part. If you know your staff, you will identify the leaders instantly. The hard part is to choose the right people for the right positions. A great leader in the wrong position will not be very effective. You need to be able to identify future leaders and then match their personality types, skills and potential with the right position.
Is leadership development ongoing?
Not one great leader will admit that they have achieved their full potential. Leadership development never stops just like one can never claim that you have achieved your life purpose to its full extent. It evolves continuously. Leaders will find themselves in a different environment wherever they go and that will call for further development or training. If you stop developing the leaders around you, you may as well close shop.
What is human.kind's commitment to leadership?
Even in a small business you have to have a clear plan for the future. If not, you will have turmoil in your organisation. human.kind's commitment to leadership is to ensure that the right people are identified within the organisation to take it to the next level and to ensure that we retain the best leaders. These members of the team are committed to leadership training on an ongoing basis and promoted to where they will add the most value to the business.
What is the advantage of leadership development?
Simple. The more you develop the leaders in your organisation, the more you can expect from them. Great leaders are not happy with mediocrity; therefore, they will always give 110 per cent. Your top leaders will challenge you more, but it will always be to improve the business.
One of the most important reasons for leadership development has to do with succession and continuity within the organisation.
How has human.kind benefited from its focus on leadership development?
When you instil a culture of developing leaders within an organisation, it changes how people think about their roles. The potential leaders will naturally come to the front and take on more responsibility.
At human.kind we have experienced a massive change in how people see their futures within the agency. Leaders in each department are now accountable for their own teams and already developing the next level of leaders. Their task is to mentor and encourage their teams and to develop their potential. Staff turnover is at an all-time low and productivity at an all-time high.
