Future Leader Development

Companies must handpick both future leaders and their prospective jobs.

Each assignment should provide the right kind of developmental challenge so leaders can grow as fast as possible. Bosses must be willing to take some risks when assigning jobs that stretch new leaders’ abilities.

The Role of Bosses

Every boss must be a mentor and coach, investing energy and care to facilitate high potentials’ development.  Bosses are best suited to observe rising leaders in action, ask questions, make suggestions and keep them focused on the right priorities.

A mentor is a highly visible and experienced company executive advising a rising star.  Unlike mentors, a coach can be less visible but very much present.  Bosses can be coaches to future leaders but may also suggest that an executive coach, drawn from the outside, provide individual support on both personal and business matters to the rising star. 

A coach helps the emerging leader own his or her future:

Objectivity: Be sure the direction you choose is the right one.

Wisdom: Become clear in your reasons for going in that direction.

Network: Meet the people needed to get you there.

Every interaction becomes a training opportunity to develop the leader’s growth.

Managing the Leadership Development System

Few companies systematically compile useful information about their leadership resources. They have formal routines for collecting financial data and other indicators, but not for leadership development — the very foundation of business success.  Here are the criteria for managing the leadership development process:

• Continually revisit the criteria and methods for identifying leadership talent to remain attuned to external changes 
• Assign individuals with leadership talent to a sequence of challenging work that builds capabilities while meeting current organizational needs
• Provide rigorous feedback to speed leaders’ development
• Increase each leader’s visibility within the company to solidify his or her connection with the business and allow other leaders to get to know the individual in depth

Take Charge of Your Own Career

If you had one or more people, whom you admired a great deal, offer themselves and their resources to help you reach your professional goals in the next few years, how do you think it would accelerate your progress?

Leaders (especially those who believe they have undiscovered high potential) should take charge of their own learning and development.

Leaders should be aware of their specific talents and whether they’re being fully utilized and developed. If companies are underutilizing them, they should actively seek environments where their talents can be used, recognized, encouraged and developed.

Identifying your potential requires introspection and brutal honesty.  Functional expertise becomes less important than other leadership capabilities as you rise higher in a company.

This work is best done with an experienced executive coach who can help you find the optimal developmental opportunities and mentors within your organization.