Leadership for a Change

Step 1: Assess 

Leadership training programs often fail due to the lack of clear alignment with organizational performance objectives such as cost-savings, employee retention or customer satisfaction. For this reason, one must begin with buy-in from top management to help clarify and promote the need for leadership development and to set expectations. The next step is to identify and assess the essential leadership competencies required for your specific business.

Which leadership competencies should we seek to develop?

An extensive study by Bersin and Associates* in January, 2007 shows a clear correlation between the use of leadership competencies and business outcomes. “For example, fast-growing technology companies greatly reward creativity and innovation. These companies know that they are currently in the process of “creative destruction” of their own product lines. There is a clear focus on leadership skills: communication and leadership.” Growth in manufacturing companies, on the other hand, is typically driven by product quality, speedy delivery, low-cost structure and market-driven features. Therefore, successful manufacturers value skills like planning, teamwork, quality, and self-development, etc.

How can we assess soft skills like leadership competencies?

Pre- and post online 360° feedback surveys are the most powerful way to gather valuable perspectives on leadership performance. Maybe your organization has already developed a set of leadership competencies and skills. If not, you can easily select and customize items from our extensive 20/20 Insight Gold competency library which we have used since 1994. It remains today, the most flexible, affordable and user-friendly 360° feedback software system available.

Go to Step #2: Learn

*"How Talent Management Drives Financial Performance," Bersin & Associates, January, 2007