According to a survey by the Chartered Management Institute, accidental leaders – those with no formal leadership training - are contributing to almost one in three workers quitting*.
In the study over a quarter of senior managers and leaders and over half of managers claimed they had no formal management or leadership training. Too often, people are elevated into leadership positions due to their technical capability without the associated investment in leadership capability, and this can be detrimental. Without effective leadership organisations see a decline in levels of performance and productivity; employee trust wains and there can be high levels of employee turnover. Therefore strong leadership is an essential requirement, and even more so in times of change.
Organisations often talk about the need for a high performing culture. In years past that phrase was tailored more to being very good operationally and being able to ‘get things done.’ But in today’s world a high performing culture is more than just performance.
It’s about having a clear ambition, vision, values and shared purpose so everyone across the organisation can see how they are contributing to the bigger picture and giving people the opportunity to bring their best selves to work. Leaders drive the culture, leading by example to inspire their teams and create an environment of trust, open communication and empowerment. And compared to the leaders of a decade or more ago they need to think about how they keep this high performing culture even in times of significant change.
Leaders need to role model behaviours so people can see their own appetite and ability to take on transformation and to be positive and lead through it. And those are the skill sets that are different from being a really good operational manager.
Some people are lucky to be natural leaders, but for those who aren’t they need to have clear development programmes that start with the basics. Too often leadership programmes are aimed at existing – and accidental – leaders who haven’t had that basic training. It can be tough being a leader. It can feel lonely, it could feel awkward asking for help after being promoted into a role – or taking on a new change - and expected to perform well. Organisations need to understand that leadership capability needs to be built and continually developed.
At Marlowe, we’ve found that organisations are bringing us in to help them build general leadership development programmes and specific change leadership skills which helps their teams to go through complicated change.
What makes a great leader?
Being resilient. Leaders can often be buffeted by waves and waves of change; it can often feel overwhelming. But looks of despair won’t help employees feel confident in the change that is happening. At Marlowe we run training for leaders to build that resilience, understanding and personal awareness of how others respond to change.
Being a strong communicator. We have talked about the importance of creating a strong narrative in times of change. Leaders need to be able to tell that story in a compelling and authentic way. Too often we have seen organisations make a big announcement about a transformation without explaining the context and what it means for the business. Effective leaders will be able to translate what the change means for their teams so they can get into the same head space and continue to perform well through that change.
Having a growth mindset. It’s ok to say, ‘this is not my skill set, let me learn’. In fact recognising the need for new skills and taking them on will create a positive impact across an organisation. Employees will feel empowered to create their own development programmes as they progress their careers. Having a growth mindset means you’ll be open to learning from past successes or mistakes as well as embracing new disciplines. A few years ago we wouldn’t have included neuroscience, sustainability or wellbeing in our plans – now it’s common place and there are plenty more to come.
Building effective teams. There is a much better chance of delivering change and transformation successfully if it’s done collectively and collaboratively. And this also means leaders need to listen. Coalescing around clear priorities and giving people the opportunity to input into them will make a huge difference in team effectiveness.
Developing your leadership skills
Many organisations will provide good generic leadership programmes, but they don’t always hit the mark – particularly if the leaders are new to their role or are asked to lead a programme which doesn’t match their existing skill set.
Our training is designed to help leaders and teams manage change in the real world and provide practical tools and skills. We have a number of ‘off-the-shelf’ courses and can also partner with you to develop training tailored to your organisation’s needs. Training can be provided to support our Change Capability, Change Management Delivery and Change Communication offerings, as a standalone offer or as part of your leadership academy/curriculum.
About Marlowe
At Marlowe we partner with organisations to deliver large scale, complex transformation and change. We deliver business change solutions, change capability, assurance, training, leadership effectiveness and cultural change.
Our focus is on your people to ensure your change is delivered practically, successfully and sustainably. Please contact us if you would like to know more about delivering exceptional business change.