Mike Schaffner wrote a great post about leadership development on January 31. While written primarily for and about IT folks, Mike's ideas apply equally well to development in all walks of life.
Begin with yourself
As Mike points out, each of us has primary responsibility for our own self-development. No one will care as much about our growth as we ourselves do, and it's up to us to take the lead. Mike suggests embarking on a continuous learning program, that includes keeping up with technology in your field of expertise, learning the business of your organization, and learning the business of your customers. Then, Mike calls on us to seek feedback from folks around us, and volunteer for assignments that will stretch us.
Mark Howell offers suggestions for self-training resources, including Harvard Business On-line, Stanford Technology Ventures Program and blogs. My favorite blogs for learning more about leadership are Leading Blog, Slow Leadership, Wally Block's Three Star Leadership, David Maister's Passion, People and Principles, and Evolving Excellence.
As a leader, you have responsibility, too
Mike goes on to make suggestions for how leaders might help develop their team members. He stresses the need to provide regular training and a mix of opportunities. He suggests working on a mentoring program and discussing with HR the idea of dual career paths - one for those who will lead, and the other for those who will become content experts. Mike reminds us, too, that learning takes time and we need to allow for that.
For me, the most important task of a leader is to understand each of his employees. No one set of development opportunities will suit all. In fact, each employee needs a development program specifically matched to her talents, skills and desires.
A great tool for learning more about your employees and for together managing their development is the monthly coaching session. I come back to this often, because I see it as core to great leadership. Yes, there are other ways to help your employees develop, and you will need to use all the development tools you can muster. But I have not found a substitute for taking an hour out every month to sit down with each team member and talk about progress and development.
One caveat, though. Michael McKinney quotes Marshall Goldsmith, who points out that some people don't believe they need to develop, or don't want to grow. Don't throw all your energy into trying to force these folks to change. Instead, invest more in those who are eager to grow.
The bottom line
As a leader, why should you care about the growth and development of your employees? Because research (see 12: The Elements of Great Managing, by Rodd Wagner and James K. Harter for more) shows that people who have real opportunities to learn and grow will be more productive, safe, loyal and engaged than those who don't. And because investing in the skills and knowledge of your employees will give them the tools to help drive your success.
