Essential Leadership Training Programs
Leadership training is crucial for the organization and the individual as it helps determine the success of the organization by rightly tapping the emerging leaders and training them on the necessary skills. Few of the essential leadership training programs are discussed below on three different levels, which include organizational excellence, team excellence, and personal excellence.
Few of the essential training programs for leaders
Organizational Excellence – Since leaders directly impact the policies at the highest level, it is important to train them in organizational excellence skills. Their effectiveness in organizational skills directly impacts the well-being of the entire organization. Two key leadership training programs that can enhance the organizational effectiveness of leaders are:
Strategic Thinking
The way in which a person sees perceives, imagines, analyzes,s and creates a future for self and people around refers to strategic thinking. This could serve as a very vital tool. It aids in effective decision-making that leads to organizational success. So, a leader at the top level or in management needs to be efficient in strategic thinking. There are set of skills that aid in developing the strategic thinking of an individual and a Strategic Thinking workshop should aim at developing these.
- A strategic thinker is usually logical and creative; this paves way for new solutions and ideas which take the organization closer to excellence.
- To be a strategic thinker, one must have a clear vision. It must be well-defined and focused.
- Objectives are jotted down, with tasks delegated for each objective and a plan for the required resources to complete each task.
- They possess the ability to adopt changes to their plans to best fit the situation and requirements.
- They have a tendency to learn from experiences and apply them in their future ventures.
- The strategic thinker is open to hearing ideas from others and trying to incorporate them into the plan.
- They are not biased and remain non-judgemental during the brainstorming sessions. They tend to be open-minded.
- One great asset of a strategic thinker is patience. They remain calm and avoid jumping to conclusions.
The above-mentioned skills are crucial for organization success and it is essential that those at top managing levels have the skills. A training program in strategic thinking would help them develop and improve the above-mentioned skills and make them great leaders.
Risk-Taking
Risk-taking is the act of involving in a difficult task or decision where there is a potential risk of failure or uncertainty. Most leaders develop skills like charisma, inspiring others, etc. but risk-taking behavior is something that differentiates a leader from the others. Certain people take risks while others walk away, what are the factors that determine who will take risks? Studies reveal that willingness to take risks, seeing risks as opportunities, personality characteristics, and emotional intelligence are some of them. To be successful as a leader there is an inherent need to take risks. Processes in risk-taking could be put together as,
- Analyzing the situation gives a perspective of the actions to be taken. It would aid in planning the steps.
- With risks comes learning. Be the positive or negative consequences learning does happen.
- It is essential that actions are taken immediately in risky situations. So it is essential to develop the art of jumping in and performing.
Risk-taking behavior is important for top-level managers and leaders who often face challenges. So training on Risk Taking would help them develop the skills necessary to view risks as opportunities for development and to be spontaneous at times.
Team Effectiveness – The success of a leader does not depend only on his/her performance but on his/her ability to successfully manage and lead teams. Conflicts being an integral part of any team need to be managed successfully by leaders. This makes Conflict Management one of the critical training engagements for leaders.
Conflict Management
In a group having people from varied backgrounds, having different ideas, thinking and views conflicts are inevitable. As a leader one is in a position to manage these conflicts effectively. A few common ways of dealing with conflict could involve Avoiding, Harmonizing, Bargaining, Forcing, and Problem-solving. In the training program team leaders will be educated about these and also different conflict management styles, factors affecting conflict, different situations causing conflict, etc. Some very common conflict management style includes Collaborating, Accommodating, Competing, Avoiding, and Compromising.
It is essential that a leader manages the conflict efficiently to facilitate smooth team functioning. So, a training program on conflict management should aid in developing the abilities to manage conflict and gain a good perspective on various factors causing the development of the conflict.
Personal Effectiveness – A leader can only be effective if they are able to manage themselves effectively. The personal Effectiveness of a leader impacts not only his/her work but also motivates and guides others in the team. 2 key skills that can be developed through training for leaders are Time Management and Emotional Intelligence
Time Management
Time management is the ability to consolidate and schedule all the work by spacing them within the stipulated time. Time is a very essential resource and one must master the art of multitasking to be efficient enough to be punctual in completing the tasks. Proper time management skills are one of the essential development areas for Leaders. It is an opportunity for leaders to better prioritize work, be more productive, remain focused on tasks, and get organized, leading to being punctual and creating a positive image about themselves.
Time management training would enable leaders to master skills like prioritizing urgent and important tasks, the art of delegation, setting goals, managing personal tasks, etc. Along with that training includes a time mastery profile, Time Mastery connects different dimensions of time management in a virtual world to real-world demands, generating powerful action plans. Time mastery profile helps in understanding the current level of skill with a skill-gap analysis.
Emotional Intelligence
It is essential that a leader is able to manage and control their emotions appropriately. It is a well-known fact that leaders go through challenges and work under a great deal of pressure. Failing to manage one’s emotions effectively or of the teammates when under stress puts a leader down. Going through the leadership training programs would ensure the leaders gain expertise in these dimensions: Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Social skill, Empathy, Emotional sensitivity, and adaptability.
In order to gain self-awareness, Johari Window could be used to get a greater perspective. 360-degree feedback is another method that would also be a part of the leadership training programs. This would ensure that a leader is able to better manage the team or also for an emerging leader to develop certain qualities essential for a functional leader.
Contact us if you are interested in a leadership program that is tailored to the needs of your organization or team.
