In our previous blog we explored a few ideas about how you, as a leader, have a direct impact on creating an accountable and high-performance culture where individuals take 100% ownership of their commitments and deliverables.  

Leaders set the tone and are key in driving the type of culture and environment necessary for success. This approach starts with you and requires care and consistency to role model the right behaviors and thinking that will shape your company’s direction.

This week we want to shift the discussion to developing leaders within your organization and focus on what is required to build that necessary leadership bench strength at all levels within the company.

We have the privilege to help solve part of this problem with the organizations we support and work with. Reskilling and retooling through training, development, and coaching are just a few of the many avenues you can take to help others develop and fine-tune the skills they need to be effective influencers and leaders.  

Part of future-proofing your organization starts with the right leaders; and in times like these, strong leadership is more important than ever before.

So how do you prepare existing and future leaders by ensuring they have the right skills, abilities, and knowledge to steer your company in the right direction? Start by communicating what leadership means to your organization by defining the desired leadership competencies and behaviors.

Define What Leadership Means to Your Company

What are the competencies and visible behaviors that successful leaders demonstrate in your organization? These behaviors are a combination of skills, abilities, and knowledge a leader must possess to be effective. Defining the behaviors and competencies are critical to both individual and collective success as they act as a compass, ensuring leaders and individuals are focusing on the right things.  

Competencies can take on a few different lenses as we outline below:

• Behavioral competencies define the natural or inherent behaviors that are sometimes difficult to measure, such as strategic thinking and interpersonal skills.
  
  
• Technical competencies describe the necessary knowledge and specific skills required to be successful in your specific field or areas of expertise.
  
  
• Leadership competencies capture the core behaviors that are required to successfully lead and influence others. 

By defining the skills, behaviors, and knowledge that are required to be a leader or influencer in your organization, it ensures that expectations are clear as we discussed in past blogs. It takes the guesswork out of wondering if people have what it takes to rise to leadership, creates accountability and provides clarity on what leadership looks like for your respective organization.

We cannot measure what we have not defined, so be as specific as you can.

Here are a few examples of leadership competencies viewed from three different perspectives. All three are equally important:

Leading Self:

• Demonstrates ethics and integrity
• Possess drive and purpose
• Highly self-aware and emotionally intelligent

Leading Others:

• Effective communicator who can manage teams and working groups
• Values people and developing others
• Encourages, values and role models equity, diversity, and inclusion 

Leading Change:

• Establishes vision and strategy for others
• Encourages risk taking, innovation and fosters a growth mindset
• Brings people together to solve problems, and work collaboratively towards common goals

What else can you do to build your leadership pipeline of talent?

We are simply scratching the surface in this blog as there are many tactics and approaches you can take to build the necessary leadership bench strength for your company.

I would like to hear what your thoughts are on this topic, so I encourage you to reach out to me as I am here to help support your success. Please email me at joanne.trotta@leadersedgeinc.ca or call me at 1.855.871.3374.