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Investing in emerging and standout leaders Leadership development strategies for a connected culture

Leaders are the keepers of team morale, loyalty and retention An organization’s growth and future are as dependent on leadership development

as its services. From CEO to department head to team leader, leadership impacts the

entire organization. Leaders have the power to create or deflate team engagement daily. With managers responsible for 70% of the variance in employee engagement,

accordingly to Gallup, the business case for leadership development is very real.

But leaders are struggling While the world around us can feel out of

WHEN GALLUP COMPARED TOP QUARTILE TEAMS TO LOWER QUARTILE TEAMS, THE RESEARCH FOUND:

control, great leaders offer stability and

safety. They change how business feels.

They also impact engagement, advocacy and loyalty—powerful feelings that

drive employee and customer choice

23%

18%

81%

64%

higher profitability

and behavior.

But research shows that two out of three

leaders wish they didn’t have to manage people. Fast-paced, continuous change (like high demand for flexible workflows

lower absenteeism

and empathetic well-being support)

pushes leaders to achieve more with less.

higher productivity

fewer safety incidents

10%

These are trends we’ve seen and

experienced through the pandemic,

the Great Resignation, “quiet quitting”

higher customer loyalty and engagement

and well after. Helping leaders so they can show up for their teams is vital.

5-step road map strategy

STEP 1

Gain C-suite buy-in

STEP 2

Establish performance goals

STEP 3

Prepare for rollout

STEP 4

Launch and sustain

STEP 5

Measure and modify

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

The case for creating buy-in

STEP 5

Good leaders don’t sprout overnight. Most organizations likely

WHAT IS THE A.R.T. APPROACH TO RECOGNITION?

talents aren’t actively nurtured by more senior leaders.

ITA Group's exclusive

have budding leaders who fall under the radar—or whose Identifying these individuals (including managers and

supervisors with potential for advancement) sends several positive messages. From “my employer holds themself

accountable to invest in me” to “staying is worth it, given I’ll grow my relational, technical and behavioral skills.”

While you should come to an executive pitch with identified

skills trainings, you can also flip it into a collaborative session. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

categorizes leadership competencies into three groups,

1 2 3

which helps “bucket” your focus areas.

the organization

Leading others

employee engagement

combines Appreciation, Recognition and Trust to amplify culture-

Gather executives’ take on must-have leadership skills

Leading

A.R.T. approach to

Leading

yourself

building behaviors. Through live

experiences, learning

and development, and manager enablement, it integrates strategy and technology to transform daily

interactions and

organizational efforts into long-term

performance drivers.

Get clarity on near-future changes and needs Ask executives if there are upcoming market or industry needs that demand proactive skills

training like a merger, or retirement or departure of key individuals. This includes whether they anticipate opening more positions to fill a need.

COMMUNICATE THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM VALUE & TIME COMMITMENT Show how the program aligns with organizational needs like career

pathing and a leadership pipeline.

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 5

Understand the impact leadership development has on other business areas When done right, proactive leadership

development impacts every other employee experience program. Too often, executives

address leadership development too late—after there’s been a problem or the problem grows so large, they can’t ignore it any longer.

When team members strongly

agree that they trust the leadership of their organization they are

4x more likely to be engaged. —GALLUP

Applause-worthy outcomes Clear paths for career growth

Improved processes and products

Known and emerging leaders can

Developing leaders provides individuals

developing skills, expanding ambitions

organization and industry, along with

upskill and set higher career goals, like and improving productivity. Seeing

coworkers advance also motivates

peers to pursue similar career growth.

Established succession plan

with a better understanding of the

enhanced skills on how to motivate

teams. This improves processes and

efficiencies, which leads to improved products and services.

Increased adaptability

Having leaders who went through

Companies with leadership

development programs reduces

change faster, like evolving economic

(and continue in) leadership

interruptions in employee productivity when leadership roles shift. It also ensures that incoming leaders

maintain a high level of leadership

development programs adapt to

conditions, culture landscapes, and government requirements and regulations.

competency.

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 5

Make leaders better leaders Beyond experienced leaders, like managers and supervisors, notice emerging leaders.

Let both audiences know you see and support their potential, and encourage them to invest

in learning and development skills that deepen trust in the organization. You want employees to know you’re working on their behalf even when the training feels more informal.

Critical leadership skills > Coaching peers: Help team members perform

their responsibilities more efficiently while nurturing their productivity and skills.

> Improving communication: Be able to explain

complex concepts so everyone understands the message, letting employees do their job.

> Promoting accountability: Ensure everyone feels

a sense of ownership and responsibility in their work while also being productive.

> Setting goals: Help teams and individuals set

Beyond how leadership training supports

organization goals,

let why be your guiding light. If you want to

retain employees, keep them engaged and

ensure they’re growing with the organization.

and achieve relevant, specific goals.

Deepen emotional intelligence Knowing one’s core motivators and leadership style is critical to leading and inspiring a team, from navigating how to create emotional safety during tough conversations to developing a pattern of trust. These are things a team can’t always articulate but certainly observe.

Self-awareness elements > Showing empathy: Using empathy to create understanding, even during disagreements,

is a highly effective way to impact better leadership, improved change management and effective cultural transformation.

> Building trust and enabling teams: Shifting one’s thoughts from “managing” employees

to “enabling” employees is an important evolution in leadership. It gives employees more autonomy, leading to more trust.

> Leading by example: Being a role model for continuous learning, adaptability and the

desired culture inspires team members to do the same.

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 5

Create personalized learning paths to keep content relevant Employees should receive leadership development training when it’s relevant to their role, not simply when it works for organizers or mentors. Instead, assign content in alignment with employees’ workflows (ideally, less busy periods) that allow for intentional practice.

Reinforcing culture at critical moments in the development journey also naturally builds a connected culture.

Refine trainings based on employees’ past engagement If there’s data to pull, use it! Understanding which types of

content and delivery methods resonated most with employees

will help you avoid wasting time on topics they’re familiar with or

trainings that underwhelm them. From there, refine, refine, refine. Personalized learning always makes learning more effective.

TRAINING STYLE MATTERS People forget roughly

50% of new information within an hour.

—ART KOHN, COGNITIVE SCIENTIST EXPERT

Set the right training environment Don’t underestimate the power of providing a comfortable space to learn and engage. With how dispersed your teams likely are, expand beyond in-person trainings.

Vary delivery format Internal leadership development

Third-party leadership development

> Training and coaching

> External educational courses,

> Train-as-you-go method > Job shadowing > Formal or informal mentorship

certifications and classes

> Networking events > Seminars and workshops

> Individual or group training

BALANCE SELF-DRIVEN & INSTRUCTOR-LED COURSES Not all experiences resonate equally. Find the right mix to satisfy team members who prefer autonomy and

responsibility over sitting in a classroom.

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 5

Follow the 70-20-10 rule Team members learn mainly from doing and collaborating. It’s why the 70-20-10 rule is

heavily skewed toward on-the-job training. Practicing skills like problem-solving, innovation

and reflection gives employees the space to own their growth while still spending 30 percent of their time receiving feedback and participating in trainings.

70%

ON-THE-JOB LEARNING with challenging

assignments and

20%

MENTORING

10%

where other

that challenges

leaders share

their expertise

TRAINING

their skill level

opportunities

CREATE TOOLKITS TO SUSTAIN LEARNING Ever heard the saying, “Use it or

lose it”? It’s the same for learning

reinforcement. Help team members embed new knowledge with toolkits

that use prompts and activations to role model leadership behaviors.

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 5

Use practical application to better retain information Embrace continuous learning over standalone learning. Standalone workshops might wedge nicely into packed schedules, but they often inspire less behavior change than embedded, ongoing learning—like experiential learning built on real-world scenarios.

Leadership simulations

Tools and processes

It’s a risk-free way for leaders to

Cross-functional experiences

apply newfound skills. Simulated situations like organizational

Exposing leaders to parts

crises, strategy building or

of the business beyond

leaders to adopt, there are

their immediate role

financial performance reviews give leaders the opportunity

to experiment in a controlled

environment before having to do it when the pressure’s on. Simulations are particularly

effective when leaders have

to navigate the human side of leadership, keeping teams on board and motivated as they

helps them grasp why certain decisions are made that impact

everything from business performance to team

culture. The outcome?

Better informed decisionmaking even during

complex challenges.

For every behavior you ask tools that support the

specific behavior change. Whether it’s a coaching

framework, communication packet or continuous

improvement toolkit, tools

and processes woven into

the fabric of the organization make sure the leadership

behaviors you want to see are truly embedded.

navigate the twists and turns of continuous change.

Provide ongoing mentoring and coaching The best coaches are current leaders—people who get the organization, know leader

expectations and have reason to care. And while it may go without saying, it’s their expertise that best guides how to curate content, whether it’s for in-person, online or hybrid trainings. They’re also the best resources for budding leaders to practice relational (soft) skills with.

T AC PR

NIN R EA

guides the natural learning loop.

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and-paste learning and development programs. Their role

for future mentoring, especially when compared to copy-

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relevant insights on employee goals and remain accessible

R ECE I V E FE

Coaches are the difference-makers when they provide

Continuous learning and feedback

I C E S KI LLS

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

Ask for feedback and put it to work

STEP 4

STEP 5

Watch as your program goes live.

USE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS TO CELEBRATE THE LEADERSHIP JOURNEY

was worth it? Take note of even

You likely measure employee sentiment

Do team members feel their time small feedback like if instructors

were well-prepared, and big feedback like if the content applied to team

members’ day-to-day responsibilities.

Get data insights to the right leaders Empower front-line leaders, especially during the first six months, with the

knowledge of how their teams perform, and where or who they may need to nudge into action. Deliver this

successfully via bite-sized insights

and customer engagement, but do you target leaders on the positive

behaviors that drive those positive feelings in others?

Beyond financial measures, attaching performance reviews to the how as well as the what is imperative in supporting a culture of ongoing leadership accountability and

development. It’s not only celebrating what leaders achieve, but also

recognizing how they get there.

or automated communications.

Keep organizational goals relevant So the leadership development program is in place.

What’s next? If you don’t want it to fizzle, it has to align with organizational outcomes like employee retention or higher engagement. This alignment ensures you

properly focus your efforts on the right development areas and clearly communicate to the employees you’re trying to serve.

Stay committed to leadership development Revisit goals on a set schedule that aligns with

your company size, maturity and products/services.

A schedule keeps you from waiting too long to measure progress, ask participants for feedback and apply what you’ve tracked.

RALLY SUPPORT ESPECIALLY DURING HARD TIMES Budget allocated to

leadership development often gets cut first when challenging times hit. In

reality, it’s the most critical time to invest in the skills

that help the organization overcome downturns and navigate change.

Now apply steps 1–5 Celebrate what’s working, spotlight engagement gaps and work toward a truly connected culture. The leadership development road map is your self-paced guide on how to evolve

your program, when to involve key audiences in decision-making and feedback, and what actions to take during each of the five steps.

Download the road map

Build a connected culture Think of employee engagement as a connected experience. Our broader ebook, Ultimate guide to aligning employee experience programs, includes the information you just read

on leadership development, as well as step-by-step program road maps for organizational culture and branding, employee recognition, and learning and development. Whether your organization is interested

in small-scale program adjustments, or broad strategy shifts supported by

ITA Group's A.R.T. approach, our employee engagement team is also a resource.

We’ll assess your current environment and discuss areas for potential improvement.

Download the ultimate guide