The Point: Organizations, both for-profit and non-profit, consider leadership development training as something critical to their success. This is evidenced by the time and money (a staggering $14 billion per year as of January 2014) spent on leadership development. Not to mention, courses on leadership offered in educational institutions across the county also cost several thousand dollars each to participate in. Why then do we see leadership development failing? In this post we’ll investigate why this is so, and how Stakeholder Centered Coaching is a better (or best) alternative… Enjoy!
3 Reasons for Failure
Reason #3: Not Assessing Leadership Needs Accurately
More often than not, leadership programs are initiated without any clear goal in mind. Ideally, current and future business needs should be the driving force behind coaching programs.
Reason #2: No Support from the Executive Team
No leadership development training (Not even Centered Executive Coaching!) can become successful without the support of the executive team. The executive team should be there when the needs and outcomes of the program are being decided upon. This is necessary to further link the leadership development goals to those of the organization.
Reason #1: No Implementation Plan
This is perhaps the most crucial factor. When a leadership training program is starting, it is easy to get caught up in its short-term impact. The launch is exciting, and you are mentally stimulated throughout the duration of the training. However, if there is no implementation plan on how the positive effects generated through the training are to be sustained, then the whole program would be an exercise in futility.
Why SCC Fares Better?
Stakeholder Centered Coaching proves to be more effective than most leadership programs out there precisely because this system, pioneered by Marshall Goldsmith, avoids the leadership development mistakes listed above. Results are identified in early stages of the initiative, and driven towards throughout.
Furthermore, stakeholders (those active in the organization) are participants in the process, not just passive bystanders. Along with the leader and coach, a lot of emphasis is placed on stakeholder feedback (Hence the name!) These stakeholders are the best “experts” in how the leader’s behavior can improve. The coach then takes a backseat and helps the leader improve their behavior in line with what those around them want.
Long lasting behavior change occurs when a leader’s needs are assessed accurately, and improvement is achieved in a team setting, a team that both recognizes and supports that change. This is what SCC is all about!
Summary
To sum up, leadership development fails because the program is not designed to highlight the real areas that need improvement, and no system is set in place for long-term change. However, when you link direct business results to stakeholder driven changes in behavior, as in the case of SCC, it creates a system where everyone is driven towards the same goal.
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