The Importance of Building Leadership in Times of Uncertainty
In a city as dynamic as Calgary, our most valuable resource has never been oil. It has always been the talent and work ethic of leaders and teams fueling the economic engine across our city. Now, more than ever, it is important to invest in these people to enable innovation and growth to chart the course for what comes.
Leadership is the mirror that directly reflects the culture and direction of an organization. By developing leadership capability at all levels, organizations reduce employee uncertainty, increase productivity, and strengthen organizational resilience. Teams who benefit from capable leadership are simply better equipped to meet the challenges imposed by COVID-19 head-on. While the benefits of a talent and leadership development strategy are profound, not all programs and approaches will yield the same return.
Engage Strategic Partnerships
An experienced and credentialed leadership development firm can support internal learning and talent development departments with advanced expertise in multiple approaches, from 1:1 coaching to team and leadership development programs and culture transformation strategy. Developing outsourced strategic partnerships allows for the flexibility of resource allocation and maximizes return while maintaining consistent approaches. It’s about precision, not a generalization.
Expect Business Results
Accountability frameworks and experiential learning are key to leadership evolution and capability development – effective approaches require skills practice to be successful. Engaging a partner that comes armed with direct leadership experience and business acumen in addition to adult learning and coaching credentials in the difference between leadership training that’s nice in theory and the transformational application of new learning to yield business results.
Ensure Customization
It’s highly unlikely on “off the shelf” framework will meet the unique needs of your organization. Sustainable and results-driven leadership development strategies should be tailored to organizational objectives and long-term priorities. Ask: How are we measuring leadership culture and specific skills development? An experienced partner should set the parameters and measures of success intentionally, at the start of the engagement.
Published on August 24, 2021
Written for Business in Calgary December, 2020
