How Leadership Development Drives Meaningful Change

Leadership development can help individuals develop the capabilities they need to lead their teams and organizations effectively. Through leadership development, leaders can develop or enhance key qualities such as emotional intelligence or resilience and cultivate a culture that encourages communication, collaboration, and innovation—a trifecta for business success. 

Keep reading to discover the importance of leadership in driving change and meeting business challenges, as well as how to develop yourself as a leader.

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What is leadership development?

Leadership development focuses on improving the skills, knowledge, and abilities of individuals in managerial or leadership roles or those who hope to reach a leadership role in the future.

An effective leadership development strategy focuses on helping leaders continue to develop their skills. The goal is to develop more effective leaders who can:

• Inspire and motivate teams

• Make sound decisions

• Think strategically

• Manage, mentor, or coach others

• Assess employees and offer constructive feedback

• Navigate change

• Use active listening skills

• Build a culture of trust

• Create a sense of purpose and direction

Why is leadership development important?

Leadership development allows individuals to improve their self-awareness, empathy, and other essential skills to lead effectively. Leadership development in organizations also helps leaders develop a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing their organization and the broader industry. This can help leaders communicate a clear vision while motivating others to be invested and engaged in achieving business objectives. 

Leaders who participate in leadership development programs can also develop greater resilience and adaptability. This can help them better manage crises and calmly navigate complex, rapidly evolving business environments.

Benefits of leadership development

Leadership can benefit you and your organization. Improving your leadership skills can help you communicate better, make better decisions, and engage employees more. Since successful leaders establish the tone of the workplace, having leadership development training can improve overall workplace culture as well. By participating in leadership development, you have the opportunity to gain the following benefits.

Attract and retain skilled team members. 

After undergoing leadership development, you’ll likely have improved skills and confidence to promote cultural values such as integrity, respect, and collaboration. Many leadership development plans also focus on becoming a better relationship-builder. This can support employee engagement, which helps retain your best performers and attract top talent.

Improve corporate culture.

Leadership development equips effective leaders to create a positive work environment that fosters employee engagement, motivation, and productivity. When your employees feel nurtured, they work harder, and that can motivate others to make more effort as well. As leadership development is a continuous process, you’re likely also to see the value in encouraging others to continually improve their skills and abilities.

Encourage innovation. 

As the leader, you can be the catalyst for risk-taking and creative approaches to new challenges or old problems. Through leadership development, you can learn how to encourage innovation and creativity in your team. You’ll be more likely to understand your leadership style and how it can impact others, which allows your team more freedom to develop new ideas and solutions.

Improve flexibility in uncertain markets.

Leadership development is designed to foster self-awareness and greater confidence. You’ll also typically learn about organizational risks and challenges. Combined, these provide a solid foundation for you as a leader to drive better business outcomes, such as increased profitability, improved customer satisfaction, and greater market share. You’ll have the knowledge you need to navigate and effectively manage rapid change while encouraging your employees to thrive. 

Core skill areas for leadership development 

Leadership development covers a wide range of skills. Core skills you’ll want to explore include:

• Self-awareness: The better you know yourself, your strengths, and your weaknesses, the better you can lead.

• Communication: Clear and persuasive communication as well as active listening can make a real difference in building relationships. 

• Influence: Your ability to get things done and encourage others to make an effort drives business outcomes. 

• Learning agility: An effective leader learns from mistakes, asks insightful questions, and is open to feedback.

• Strategic thinking: Enables you to solve complex problems, analyze opportunities, and gain competitive advantage. 

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How to get started with leadership development 

Leadership development can take time and effort. Taking the following steps and committing to your own growth and development can help you become a more effective leader and drive meaningful change.

1. Identify goals.

Start by reflecting on areas where you excel and where you could improve. Then, based on your self-assessment, set specific, measurable goals for your leadership development plan. 

You’ll want to balance short-term and long-term SMART goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. If you can set attainable goals for yourself, you can expect to be more effective in helping your team define realistic goals.

2. Set milestones and measure progress.

After setting your goals, you’ll want to continue to measure your progress. Continuous leadership development can offer short-term and long-term benefits. Your hard work will pay off over time. 

Seeking feedback from your colleagues, mentor, or coach can also help your leadership development. Their feedback on your skills can help you identify areas where you can improve.

3. Consider leadership development programs.

Organizations offer leadership development programs that can help you improve your skills. You can attend a seminar or workshop, take a course, or pursue a degree or certification. Seek out opportunities relevant to your goals, and find ways to practice, practice, practice. Qualities to look for in effective leadership development programs include:

• Practical learning drawing on real-life scenarios

• Opportunities to gain hands-on experience 

• Team and leadership-building activities 

• Time for reflection, which supports individual growth

• A holistic focus that includes developing your whole self

• Support for well-being and help to avoid chronic stress

• Attention paid not only to short-term change but also to long-term growth

• Online, remote learning opportunities and a flexible schedule

Trends in leadership development 

To continue to be an effective leader, strive to be a lifelong learner. For instance, try to stay abreast of trends and changes within your industry as well as leadership development. Consider some of the current trends in leadership development:

Expect and adapt to change. 

Digitalization has transformed the pace of change. Today’s business environment requires leaders who can make quick decisions and navigate new, complex situations, learning as they go. A leadership development goal may be to cultivate agility and resilience to overcome challenges.

Embrace the hybrid workforce.

One recent evolution that’s here to stay is the work-from-home team members coupled with your in-office staff—and those who straddle both. This hybrid workforce requires new leadership strategies. You’ll need to know how to establish expectations, ensure employee productivity, build relationships remotely, and support people’s development even if they don’t come into the office every day.  

Function within a flattened hierarchy.

With a greater focus on projects and collaborating toward shared goals, the top-down hierarchy of old no longer serves. Today’s young workers expect more responsibility faster, so expect a flatter structure with everyone working together. As the leader, you’ll focus on building the team and individual ownership of company goals.

Consider an impact-focused framework.

The emphasis on an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework remains relevant. ESG focuses on health and safety, sustainability, philanthropy, and understanding the part your organization plays in the larger world context. With the number of ESG rating groups growing— and customers and investors seeking ESG reporting— you’ll need to have this on your to-do list as a leader. 

ESG also correlates with prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Your leadership can set the example of a welcoming, equitable culture that includes all perspectives and fosters community. 

Develop your leadership skills with Coursera.

Leadership training can set your team up for success. From aspiring managers to C-suite leaders, your team can begin preparing for their leadership roles right away with Coursera for Business.

In the Leadership Academy from Coursera, employees can learn the skills needed to lead their business into the future. With Coursera for Business, you’ll build effective managers at every level with beginner and advanced-level leadership content, including 40+ SkillSets to drive soft skill proficiency across the entire organization.