June 16, 2021

By Priscilla Luzader Pipho

Leaders – we need more of them. We need men and women who are willing to go beyond themselves to help define a mission and guide a group to accomplish amazing things. But is it something that can be taught in a formal setting or a set of skills must be learned on the job? Are leaders born and not made,  with innate charisma and drive? Or can leaders be trained through example, education, and experience?

We think it’s the latter.

Leaders are made, no question, because leadership skills emerge through a lot of hard work, failure, and help from others. Even though there are innate qualities that will make some better at communicating a vision and rallying the troops, lessons are learned along the way that can be shared and re-shared. We can stand on the shoulders of giants, and we do so every day that we lead.

The concept of a leadership learning pathway within an organization is a great way to build a culture that values leadership skills. Here are four steps to create a leadership career track:

• Develop a set of values and behaviors that leaders should embody. It could be current values but make sure you go deeper with behaviors. Do so with the current leadership team. Make this a part of an offsite planning day, preferably with a facilitator. Define values that you wish to see in leaders, define what those behaviors look like, and create a system to reinforce.
• Develop succession planning where each division has a bench that can be called in. Then ensure that those who are identified are being groomed appropriately and not just being trained by their manager but is learning from the aligned leadership team as to what is expected. This will ensure a smooth transition when the heir apparent is promoted. Skill is the first step for defining a role; demonstrating the spirit of the values is the second.
• Create a learning track for potential leaders. We like to call it a Leadership Academy and we’ve seen it work from world-class engineering firms to small town junior colleges. A structured curriculum gives you a tool to define the values you wish to see in leaders, and helps you put all three levels of a balanced culture into play: strategic alignment, leadership focus, and people systems.
• Make sure your leadership track includes soft skills that balance the desire for power. You should be able to help future leaders develop their careers, but by paying close attention to those who are motivated by serving the organization and not themselves, you’ll maintain a healthy organization. This goes back to your values and training your leaders to understand the importance of humility, listening to others, developing others, and keeping an open mind. The smartest people may be able to answer every question but the smartest leaders learn from others.

Creating a structured learning pathway will help your organization identify, reward, and promote for behaviors that reveal the values of a true leader.