Your organization’s culture drives your entire team and company to success. Yet, to effectively do that, molding your leadership team will greatly determine the outcome of their efforts.
Company leaders are the difference between an average team and a high-performance team. They’re the people with various qualities that every company wants to keep, nurture and grow.
One key priority for you is to uncover their abilities and foster leadership talent. In other words, you’re leading the leader to success.
To foster impactful company leaders, find out how with the steps below.
1. Understand What Motivates Your Leaders
What motivates your leaders to get up every morning and go to work? Understanding what drives your leaders forward is the key to unlocking their potential.
A good leader will have a clear path to follow with a firm goal. This goal in mind pushes them to exude enthusiasm and inspire their team. To them, no task is too big or too trivial.
Yet if you find out why they’re truly passionate, you can begin to motivate them in even bigger ways. Motivation has a significant impact on behavior. Therefore, knowing their purpose will give you the sustenance you need to provide appropriate direction.
2. Encourage Their Leadership Style Development
Recognize your leaders’ strengths and habits. When you foster their development, they feel more confident to develop their style to its full potential.
At your company, recognizing emerging leaders gives you the opportunity for guidance. Therefore, it helps to show where improvements are needed.
So, how can a leader transition into their leadership style?
Learning from mentors who embrace motivational qualities and passion is key. Furthermore, they adapt to the needs of others and their goals.
Consider implementing a leadership program where leaders can develop self-awareness of their leadership style through learning tools and technologies.
3. Recognize the Importance of Professional Growth
One way of fostering an impactful leader is by providing them opportunities for personal and professional development.
Leaders become more driven when they get the chance to upskill to a new level. Furthermore, they thrive on achieving strategic goals. However, they can’t be their best without continuous guidance.
Recognizing them as an important resource in your business plan adds to their enthusiasm. Sometimes, your leaders need active engagement to challenge their thoughts and encourage ideas.
Ask questions, listen to their strategies and gently steer them in the right direction — and be there for support as often as needed.
4. Recognize Leadership Potential Starts With the Hiring Process
When recruiting potential leaders for the job, recognizing how they fit within the company culture is an important step. Their attitudes and behaviors are an aspect of understanding their compatibility with the job.
Consider whether they strongly understand your company’s philosophy and culture. You could try incorporating them in situations where they might be able to interact with the team. Once they have a meeting, you can receive crucial feedback to ensure they’re a good fit for the culture.
Otherwise, if you have one poor leader — this can ultimately affect the entire company detrimentally.
5. Provide Leaders With a Succession Plan
When effective leaders exercise company loyalty, you should reward them greatly. Ideally, rewarding them with a succession plan works best. It’s a crucial part that plays in employee loyalty and retention.
While working out a succession plan, consider including your leadership team in the planning details. You and the team can further understand their motivation to help foster career goals.
Once you’ve factored a succession plan in place, connecting them with mentors can enhance their abilities in soft skills. Great leaders always possess strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Cultivate Leadership Success
Learning what makes leaders tick is key to fostering leadership in your organization. Use these tactics to understand their motivations. Once you discover what they’re most passionate about, it’s easiest to guide them throughout their career endeavors.
Eleanor is editor of Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.