How to Develop Leadership Qualities in Your Employees

Sound leadership is essential for nearly every business to operate at its peak. According to a 2015 Brandon Hall Group’s State of Leadership Development Study, “Leadership development earns a top spot year after year on organizations’ talent priority lists, but 36 percent do not have a formal leadership development strategy.” Here are some proven techniques to develop leadership qualities in your employees and help them reach their maximum potential.

Offer Advancement Opportunities

The last thing you want is for bright and talented employees to stagnate and potentially go elsewhere. Instead, give them plenty of incentive to elevate their skills and one day become leaders. Be prepared to give promotions, increase salaries, invest in additional resources, etc. This is vital for retaining your top talent and helping them make the transition from employee to leader.

Recognize Leadership Potential

Let’s be honest. Not everyone is cut out for a leadership role. For some employees, it’s just not in their DNA. Your job as an employer is to examine your talent pool and identify the individuals who possess legitimate leadership skills.

Here are some potential traits to look for:

  • Consistently taking initiative
  • Demonstrating great work ethic
  • Doing more than the bare minimum
  • Having solid communication skills
  • Being a good listener
  • Being able to effectively articulate their thoughts
  • Having an attention for detail

Provide Mentorship 

Once you know whom you want to develop, it’s up to you to equip them with the necessary tools to thrive in a leadership position. This typically starts with providing them with direct mentorship yourself or appointing someone else to serve as their mentor. This relationship should help an employee make the transition, maximize their innate talents and provide them with someone to lean on in times of crisis. 

Provide Training

In addition to mentorship, some sort of formalized training can be beneficial. This could be something as simple as an online course where new leaders can acquire fundamental knowledge and hone their craft. You can learn about some resources to learn leadership for free on this article from Inc.com.

Or you could invest in a formal leadership-training program where employees receive extensive training from professionals. Regardless of the exact path you take, training should expedite an individual’s progress.

Turning employees into leaders can be the key to sustainability and longevity for your company. Therefore, it’s an area that’s well worth your time and attention. By developing leaders from within, you can strengthen your business at its core and create a meritocratic culture where your staff is rewarded for their talents and abilities.

Need to recruit leaders for your company? Contact Encadria Staffing Solutions to learn how we can help.

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