How to Get Employees Interested in Leadership Programs
Leadership Development Programs
Leadership development programs are available and include some excellent training opportunities for you and your employees. In business, continual growth is vital to overall success, and having your employees in a leadership development program would be fantastic!
So why is it so hard to get employees committed to training?
Here are some questions to ask yourself and things to consider.
- Was the idea of continual training mentioned in the hiring process?
- Is there room for growth within the company for someone who participates in leadership development?
- Do you have a culture that seeks to promote from within the company?
- Is the training mutually beneficial and offered to everyone seeking advancement?
- Do the executive leaders model leadership development by participating in leadership development training?
I would say that if the answer is yes to at least half of the questions above, you have a culture that will cultivate willing participants. However, there are other things to consider to get them interested in training.
- Do you allocate work time for training or a combination of work time and personal time for those willing to commit?
- Do you reward participants with the opportunity to exercise their newfound leadership development skills in their current roles?
- Is there a clear path to success for leadership development program participants? New roles, new projects, increased compensation, recognition for accomplishment?
- Is the leadership development program supporting your organization’s skill sets and growth? Is it a good fit that supports the company’s business model?
- Is training encouraged and not looked down upon by leaders that think it is getting in the way of “being productive”?
Are you willing to give leadership away?
As your business grows and expands, you will need to hand off tasks that you were doing in the beginning when it was just you. Someone else can decide between what coffee to buy for the office or research what printer we need to purchase next. As an owner, you will maintain oversight, but leadership development training will equip others to take on more responsibility.
That is the whole point! If growth demands a new department, you want potential leaders in the bullpen ready to step up and provide leadership. What a great feeling you will have when your employees grow with your business and take on more to help you and the company thrive. You win, and they win because leadership development supports the process.
Hire the absolute best people you can find.
Then take those people and train them to be even better at what they do. Allow them to explore new challenges and give them more leadership roles as they learn and grow. You will have happy employees that will be loyal and want to stick around for the long term.
In reality, you are growing your business and your people simultaneously! Growth is a recipe for success because you offer an opportunity for those ready to grab it.
Reward Your People with Opportunity!
Opportunity is what leaders want. It is the fuel that drives them, and they will pursue it if they see it is there for them. When you hire the best and then take them to the next level, they will appreciate you and be loyal to you.
Make the rewards real and tangible. If the business is booming, reward your people with financial compensation. If this whole recipe is complete, you will have no problem holding on to good people, and they will not leave.
Here is even better news. The culture will change for the better, and the ones who are not producing or contributing will leave on their own. Turkeys do not hang out with eagles on purpose.
Find a Leadership Development Program and Offer it.
There are a ton of great leadership development programs available. I love John Maxwell’s material and would recommend it.
Recommit Yourself to Leadership Development and Personal Growth.
Just remember that the leader’s direction and speed determine the team’s direction and speed. You set the pace, and you set the example.
If you want to get your employees interested in leadership development, let them see you pursue it with energy and passion. That will be a leader anybody can get behind.
The best have a coach to help them continue to progress and succeed. Tiger Woods has a coach. Michael Jordan had a coach.
Do not ever think you have arrived. You have only begun every time you wake up to a brand new day. There is experience and wisdom on your side with many years in the business but don’t ever think you have earned your stripes.
You are indeed either growing or dying. There is no middle ground. When you are lying still, the only difference between you and the grave is the dirt on your face. Don’t lay down when you can stand up and get going down the road to success.
Be a leader and bring some folks with you!
I remember when I was in a rut and felt like I could not get out of it. I was losing hope and wanted to give up. I remember having a leader pick me up and help me do two things.
- Take massive action
- Start learning leadership development and personal growth.
It spun the tires just enough to get me out of that rut and back onto the road.
Never give up.
You have 24 hours in a day. Sleep for 8 hours, work for 8 hours, spend 4 hours with your family and spend those precious four extra hours per day building your business or yourself. Learn something new, read books, create opportunities, do a side hustle, and engage in leadership training.
Go out there and make it happen!
To your success.
