Most leaders are not opposed to receiving feedback or learning from others. However time is precious, and with so much to do, continuing to develop yourself and other leaders can be overwhelming.
Many will wait for HR or Leadership Development to bring the training to them; don’t be one of those leaders. Sometimes organizations don’t do a great job at leveraging the amazing talent that is found within their walls. The talent within can be used to develop tools for others. At the end of the day, who knows what you’re going through better than those working alongside you, striving to attain the same goals?
Below are 3 easy ways to start developing other leaders, and in turn, yourself.
#1: Create learning groups. Use this time to share your strengths, to help others in areas they might be struggling, to talk strategy, and to even brainstorm. This collective conversation builds relationships, builds skills, and keeps you relevant to the current issues of other leaders.
#2: Invite different departments to your meetings. Often people don’t do this because they don’t want to bother others who are already tight on time. And if this is your reason just ask yourself: Would you feel that way if the roles were reversed? The answer is probably not. It’s stimulating to see how other teams function, and it works your brain in a different way to think about problems you don’t interact with on a day-to-day basis. For the leader who sent the invite, you gain a valuable perspective that isn’t commonly heard.
#3: Mentor each other more formally. This builds on the first tip and takes it to a more individual level. Many organizations have mentor programs for top-down relationships, but mentorship at a peer level can be incredibly rewarding. If your organization doesn’t offer it in a formal capacity, start one yourself!
How, as a leader, can you help develop other leaders within your organization?
Tags: #Inadequate Training, #Limited Resources, #Time Constraints, #Unrealistic Goals
