Making the Most of Leadership Training

Supplement leadership training programs with long-term leadership development

Leadership training programs can prepare employees to take on leadership roles, or help current leaders strengthen or enhance their skills. But what happens after employees graduate from these leadership training classes? Will they continue to apply what they've learned? Will they have the support they need to maintain their new status as leaders?

Making the most of leadership training requires providing ongoing support, and opportunities for your company's leadership staff to thrive. Ways to supplement a corporate leadership training seminar include:

1. Combining training leadership with building strong teams.
2. Encouraging employees to join leadership organizations.
3. Staying current on new strategies for leadership by reading leadership publications.

 

Combine professional leadership training and team building with an executive retreat

For your company's leaders to manage the business effectively, they need healthy relationships with their subordinates and with fellow leaders. By sending your management team to a professional leadership course conducted in the form of a retreat, you provide them time to build strong relationships with each other, and learn more about developing collaborative relationships with others in the company.
Try: Advanced Team Concepts hosts leadership retreats that cover everything from vision planning to interviewing to negotiation. ImprovEdge offers retreats and long-term leadership development.

After their leadership training, encourage employees to join leadership organizations

Even after their leadership training, employees may have questions about how to run an organization, or they may want to learn from fellow leaders with more experience. Consider paying for all or part of the membership fee for employees--you'll likely see a significant return on that investment, because through these organizations, company leaders can network with leaders at other companies, and obtain guidance relevant to their specific industry or organization.
Try: Many leadership organizations focus on a specific industry or a specific type of leader, such as women, Hispanics or other minority groups, or leaders within a certain geographic region. The Hispanic Leadership Organization of Fort Worth, for example, focuses on promoting leadership among Hispanics in public administration. And Catalyst is an organization dedicated to promoting leadership among women. The Public Health Leadership Organization provides support and continuing leadership education for graduates of public health leadership institutes.

Encourage ongoing communication and leadership training through leadership publications

Being a strong leader requires more than just a single leadership training course; it also entails a daily commitment to developing and enhancing leadership skills. By reading leadership publications, employees can learn about new methods and strategies for leading, and read about the successes or setbacks of leaders at other organizations.
Try: Sign up for Leading Effectively, a free monthly newsletter from the Center for Creative Leadership. IELeadership Connections is a free, bimonthly newsletter from the Institute for Educational Leadership.

 

• One of the best ways to get the most out of leadership training seminars is to ask employees what they thought of the training after they complete it. This way, you can make changes if needed, or enlist other employees to participate in the same program if it was a success.

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