Many of our clients find themselves in this challenging situation: they have grown their company, they are an active president or CEO, but they are still doing much of the day-to-day work. They are essentially glorified managers, not true leaders of their organizations. If they have multiple supervisor-level people reporting to them, they aren’t able to work in a strategically effective manner. Instead, they spend much of their time directing and managing the levels beneath them. Relief can be found when a CEO identifies that “next generation” or “emerging” leader, and takes steps to develop that individual.
Many larger companies are able to invest in solid management training programs that lead promising individuals through all areas of the company, giving them a chance to spend time in each of the business areas and focus on line and non-line responsibilities over the course of several years. Not all companies have the resources or ability to create such an experience for their potentials. But all companies can identify promising individuals and craft experiences for them throughout their career.
Here are a few great ways to develop an emerging leader:
- Give them supervisory responsibility.
- Provide training and education that will keep them on the leading edge of their industry.
- Pair them with a mentor, either within the company or out.
- Invest in professional development to teach leadership skills.
- Enroll them in a cross-industry facilitated peer group.
A next step is to pass as much of the planning and decision making as is practical down to the individual you have identified. Start small but involve them in higher-level strategic planning as you are able. As you do, identify areas that need improvement to round out that person’s skill set. Where are they strong? Which competencies still need development? Investing in a leadership assessment tool can result in additional insight and target specific areas to develop. A 360 Leadership Assessment involves subordinates, peers and supervisors and can provide a detailed and well-rounded assessment of the individual’s competencies.
The key is to identify the individual or individuals, then focus on providing a combination of experiences and coaching to develop their leadership capabilities.
