Most executives can easily visualize their organization’s success under impactful leadership, but when asked to define the necessary steps to achieve that ideal, the details are often muddy and inconclusive. Defining a plan for leadership growth and development to support your organization’s goals is crucial, yet progress is rarely made without a plan.
A leadership development plan outlines strategies and cultivates leadership skills for your employees, leading to greater overall success for your organization. With a leadership development plan, you enhance constructive interactions among employees and ensure cohesive efforts result in long-term growth. These four steps will help you construct your next leadership development plan.
It may sound obvious, but the first step in creating an action plan is getting very clear about your goals. Give yourself enough time to break down your “ideal image” into a clear mission statement for your organization. Putting ideas into words is a powerful tool in setting realistic goals and measuring progress. When setting your goals, remember the SMART criteria. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely.
In some cases, this can be a collaborative step. Ensure that you are engaging and actively listening to all parties that will be affected by your leadership development plan.
It's now time to design your leadership development plan. Just as it’s important to have a clear statement of your goals, it’s also important to have a clear statement of your current strengths and weaknesses. As you put pen to paper, a great first step is to identify existing talent and skills. You're not starting off with a blank slate. Revel in that. Are you already halfway to achieving the goals you laid out in the previous section? If you rearrange some pieces that are already working, could they drive success?
This step is where you will decide what resources you will tap into to help you achieve your goals. Many organizations choose to bring in leadership development professionals who can vamp up your efforts and help to design and implement a plan for your organization's transformation. Following the lead of an expert will certainly take some of the weight off your shoulders, but there is nothing wrong with opting for in-house training and development. Some questions to consider as you design and implement your plan are:
There are many questions to consider as you design your plan. Once your design is finalized, you can prepare a timeline concurrent with your action steps to visualize your process and track progress.
Once your plan gets underway, set up a system of regular reports. Ask delegated task holders and collaborators for detailed updates on what's going on. Measuring and confirming progress will solidify your efforts and vastly improve your chances of success. Observe what's working and what isn't, and pivot as needed for the latter.
When it comes to business growth, it's important to be consistent and trust the process. For your part as the initiator, settle comfortably into your role as a leader and take charge. When others see how passionate you are about their leadership development, they'll be more excited to put their best efforts forward, too. And don't forget accountability – on both ends. Continue to own your plan and support your team, and ensure your team is doing their part in growth, too.
Need some help to initiate your action plan for leadership development? Loeb Leadership offers various coaching programs as well as mentorship for law firms . Give us a call to get started .