11 May Leadership programs – here are 4 things to consider!
As the value placed on quality leadership within organisations has increased over time, there has been a noticeable subsequent increase in the number of leadership programs, consultants, and service providers available. With so many options out there, how you can go about ascertaining exactly which leadership programs and consultants are ideal for your organisation’s requirements.
Choosing the right leadership program is complex. Leadership requirements vary from one industry or segment to another – certain leadership programs may not be as relatable or flexible. Take for example the recent incident with the Australian cricket team – the right leadership program could have avoided or, at the very least, alleviated this unfortunate incident.
Where do things go wrong? When there’s a mismatch between what the leadership consultants are capable of providing and what is required by the organisations. That’s why all organisations interested in leveraging leadership programs must carefully consider their options.
That’s easier said than done, right? The following sections identify 4 key things organisations must look out for when deciding on which leadership programs to go for. Let’s start with the obvious requirement – experience.
Leadership programs conducted by experienced consultants
Experience is naturally one criterion that needs to be looked at. Inexperienced program coordinators who have limited awareness and understanding of contemporary leadership practices can be very harmful to organisations. You need to be confident in knowing that the consultants you’re bringing in to identify, develop and nurture your organisation’s leaders are the best out there – precisely what your employees need and deserve!
Important things to look at are the personal profiles of the prospective coaches in charge of your leadership programs. Here are a few things you should consider looking into:
- How extensive is their coaching/consulting career?
- How long have they been coaching for?
- Is their coaching expertise limited to one or a few types of organisations? Have they covered a wide spread of industries?
- What’s their philosophy of coaching – does it factor modern trends and approaches?
Overall, there are many ways of evaluating the experience of leadership consultants – it should be relatively easy to determine once you’ve read their histories. If there isn’t much information available on your prospective consultants, you need to reconsider your options.
The leadership program has demonstrated success
Success is the natural expectation of any initiative carried out – the same is true when determining which leadership programs to implement at your organisation. Look for programs that have demonstrated success and produced noticeable results for clients they have previously serviced.
How would you go about this? Testimonials are a great place to start. Most reputed leadership programs have a solid repository of client feedback regarding the sessions and the services provided. Make sure you read through these testimonials, understand the programs that were conducted and how effective they were. (Remember to ensure that the testimonials are from legitimate individuals, from real organisations!)
If the leadership program has successfully delivered results to other organisations, there’s a very strong possibility that it could do the same for you. On the contrary, if a particular program you’re considering lacks positive testimonials or, even worse, doesn’t have any at all – that’s naturally a sign that you should look elsewhere.
Make sure your consultants are proven leaders
This particular point links back to the topic of experience, however, in this case, it’s more about whether your consultants have a proven history of leadership. While there are a plethora of courses and literature out there that you could use to learn the technical details and intricacies of leadership, very few things prepare someone for leadership better than being in an actual position of leadership.
Look into the various leadership positions they’ve held – here are a few things to consider:
- Have they held leadership positions in large organisations?
- Have they helped power a business from being a startup to a fully-fledged organisation?
- Have they held leadership positions in the armed forces?
- Do they have knowledge of working in multiple countries and with multiple cultures?
If your leadership consultants have a proven history of success in leadership positions, there is a strong likelihood that they can leverage this experience to benefit your organisation.
Select leadership programs with potential for long-term engagement
You should never look at leadership development as a one-off initiative. With fluctuating markets and new employees entering organisations every day, organisations must regularly engage in leadership development practices.
When looking for leadership programs, you need to identify consultants with whom you can establish long-term partnerships and engagements. Doing so will guarantee that your employees will have the ability to regularly improve their leadership skills.
Feel free to visit our website or contact us for more information on the right leadership program!
