Develop vs. train is a subtle linguistic distinction that needs to be kept in mind when discussing leadership. You cannot successfully train someone to be a leader, but you can develop their skills, behaviors and competencies through teaching, coaching and mentorship.
Training connotes learning a task through repetition. A person doesn’t necessarily need to understand why they’re doing a task, only that performing particular actions in a certain order leads to a desired result. That type of mentality is not conducive to developing a leader because successful leadership requires using a broad skill-set to navigate complex, and often changing situations.
Development is often more labor intensive than training and can take a significant amount of time. It requires creating a detailed framework for each individual and customizing development plans; however, the effort is well worth it. By devoting resources to developing leaders you can help ensure the future success of the business.
Development Process
In order to properly develop leaders, you first need to establish a baseline. Where does an employee currently excel and where do they need to improve? An objective and validated leadership assessment can return results that can be used for individual development, and software such as LeaderNAVTM can provide an overview of information on a group of candidates that allows an organization to better allocate their development resources.
Do you need help identifying and developing effective leadership behaviors? Envision Global Leadership’s ALII-Map Enterprise assessment is a research-based, statistically valid instrument focused on influence behaviors, including emotional intelligence.
Our program provides mid- to senior-level workers with insight into the strength of their influence and helps organizations develop future leadership. Reach out today to learn more about our assessment and how you can invest in your organization’s future.
