What do you do if your organization is struggling to find the best leadership development services?

I believe the most important first step in meeting the needs of a struggling organization is to ensure that the staff, represented by the various staff categories and levels are empowered to identify the issues and propose solutions and change processes. Staff below highest leadership level are integral to any democratization of institutional change. The leadership level should be at the receiving end of the staff findings and recommendations, about which they will make the final decision. Ensuring staff buy-in for organizational success will give both 'head and heart' to organizational change and achievement of objectives.

If the organization is struggling to find such service, my first question is why? Is it possible that the organization itself needs to put the work in first in defining itself at the core? Most likely the organization has no real idea what they are looking for so it becomes difficult to match with a leadership development process/company. Create a story for the organization first and then find the right leadership development person(s) to support the organization in creating the characters for the story to unfold.

To ensure effective leadership development, an organization needs to have a well defined mission, vision, and strategy. Based on that, it is important to define the type of leadership required to achieve its goals. Assessing the individual leadership skills gap against the desired leadership competencies is vital to understanding the development needs. With a clear vision in mind, selecting the right service provider becomes easier. Without a vision, capacity building efforts risk being in vain, more like ticking boxes without a measurable return on investment. Aligning leadership development efforts with organizational goals and mission is imperative.

Your greatest chance of success is when your primary goal is clear AND your decision-making team is all actively and positively engaged. 1) Decide who you want to be part of your decision-making team 2) Spend time with your decision-making team to clarify your primary goal 3) Decide with your decision-making team whether you are all willing to change AND open to leading change to achieve your primary goal 4) Decide with your decision-making team what you do and do not want from a Leadership Development Service 5) Contact ENRICHED LEADERSHIP (and other providers of Leadership Development Services!) to find out: how they propose working with you; their pricing; and their experience and credentials. 6) Decide who you will enjoy working with!

Identify specific leadership challenges and opportunities your organization faces both now and in the future. Assess what skills and competencies are needed to address these challenges and leverage opportunities. Research and evaluate potential services based on their ability to meet these needs, considering factors such as their approach, track record, and alignment with your organization's values and culture. Engage with service providers to discuss how their offerings can be tailored to your specific requirements. By having a focused and strategic approach, you can select the leadership development services that best align with your organization’s goals and growth aspirations.

𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐁𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒. Start by clearly defining your organization's leadership development needs and objectives. Determine what specific skills, competencies, or areas of improvement you want to focus on for your leaders. This will help you narrow your search and find services aligning with your goals.

Conducting thorough research is crucial. I understood that simply relying on word-of-mouth recommendations or flashy marketing materials wouldn't suffice. To ensure we made the most informed decision, I took proactive steps to gather as much information as possible. I reached out to several service providers and requested detailed presentations of their offerings. This allowed me to gain a comprehensive understanding of the scope, methodology, and potential outcomes of each service. Additionally, I made it a point to request case studies from each provider. These real-world examples provided invaluable insights into how their services had been implemented in similar organisations and the tangible results they had achieved.

It's tough to know which of these you need. It helps to think about the value add of each service. Do your leaders need knowledge, frameworks and how to's? Prioritize training. Do your leaders need to practice the frameworks they've learned and unpack barriers and biases? Prioritize coaching. Do your leaders need exposure to examples of the skills they're hoping to develop? Prioritize mentoring. Do your leaders need people policies so they approach management consistently? Prioritize consulting. Finding great L&D professionals is important. Knowing which support your leaders actually need can help you get it right.

𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒. Conduct thorough research to identify potential leadership development service providers. Look for companies or consultants with proven expertise in leadership development, relevant experience working with organizations similar to yours, and positive client testimonials or reviews. Evaluate their offerings, methodologies, and approach to leadership development.

Look outside of conventional measures, meaning larger big box companies. Search for smaller or boutique firms that specialize in leadership development. Many times, these companies provide the individual touch and approach your company may need. Additionally, where you look may be to change. For instance, asking employees to look within their network, partner with professional organizations, and even use social media can help solve the problem.

🔥Hot take🔥: While coaching, training, and mentoring can all be outsourced, I genuinely believe it all starts WITHIN! Sure, it’s great to do research on what’s out there in the market, to gain new insights, fresh perspectives, specialized expertise (SMEs) that may be lacking within the people at your talent.. however, if you company has not conducted an internal review- eg) needs assessment, SWOT analysis, personality/skills/talent testing, to understand the talent within your organization, I believe that’s where it should BEGIN. The most successful companies often derive from having a strong leadership development/training/mentoring program within, which results in well thought-out succession planning. TLDR: discover the talent WITHIN!

A famous African proverb says: "It takes a village to work for a child to grow up." In the same way, an organization should work to develop a leader. Cultivating leadership is a serious matter. But it is worth the time and effort spent on it, because leaders are valuable. Look at some of the leaders in history: Martin Luther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony and Mahatma Gandhi. What would the world be like if we had more of these leaders performing to their potential?

In my experience, it is critical to find a partner who is willing to immerse themselves in understanding your organizational culture! Through that process identification of program champions becomes an invaluable asset. Assuming a one size fits all solution will solve your problem fails to consider the problem that got you here in the first place. Lastly, it is important your program be layered throughout the organization - taking into consideration that your C-Suite is likely to utilize the program differently than a frontline supervisor! Layering in an approach allowing more senior leaders to model and support expected behaviors is critical for full adoption.

One size doesn't fit all. There are skills to fine tune and needed self awareness. And has the organization trained the leader in areas like having difficult conversations? Has the organization communicated expectations? And of course, how is the organization reinforcing the behavior in line with its values? I am assuming it has values. Leaders need to be team modeling values and executing the plan. So, lots of understanding the why, what is needed and then the best method to uncover the potential. Time upfront is key.

Explore options such as executive coaching, leadership workshops, online courses, and mentoring programs to understand their benefits and suitability. Evaluate these services based on their content, delivery methods, and alignment with your organization’s goals. Consider factors like customization to address specific needs, track record of success, and feedback from other organizations. Engaging with multiple providers for consultations can help you gauge their approach and effectiveness. This comprehensive research will help you identify the most fitting leadership development services for your organization’s unique needs and objectives.

One of the issues with researching options is that many service providers will tell you that they can fulfil your needs and are exactly what you are looking for. So what kind of research can you do to help identify which options fit with what you need? If possible try and find others who have successfully faced the same issue and explore what they did in their situation. Reaching out to contacts on LinkedIn might help you identify those who could help you.

𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒. Contact selected providers & request proposals or quotes tailored to your organization's needs. Ask detailed questions about their programs, curriculum, delivery methods, facilitators' qualifications, customization options, & evaluation metrics. Compare the proposals to determine which provider offers the best value & meets your requirements. & 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐒. Contact your professional network, industry peers, or other organizations for recommendations & referrals. Ask for insights & experiences with leadership development service providers they have previously worked with.

Look at leadership development providers as partners in your organisation learning. The way one treats a partner is different than the way one treats a vendor. A thinking partner will bring in expertise and suggest while a vendor will merely execute. In my experience this partnership is valuable and makes the entire process enriching for all. Also, don't expect one partner to cater to all your needs. Look for people who have created a niche for themselves and are known for each of the learning needs. While many organisations look for everything under one roof for ease and convenience, it's not necessary that this is the best strategy

If your organization is struggling to find the best leadership development services, start by narrowing down your options. Compare services based on quality by evaluating credentials and client testimonials. Ensure the programs are relevant to your organization’s specific needs and challenges. Assess the value by weighing the cost against the potential benefits and long-term ROI. Check for compatibility with your organizational culture to ensure smooth integration. This thorough comparison will help you choose the leadership development services that best align with your goals and deliver the most effective results.

Before you build your options, first off, you got to know what you’re looking for. From your list you are able to filter those that can deliver what you want to elevate your leadership. If the options offer something new, that’s an added bonus and can be considered because there be areas that weren’t thought of and it could be crucial. When narrowing down your options, there are many factors. One is whether the service aligns with what you want and whether you can work with the service provider. If the service is good but you aren’t able to work with the provider, then it’ll be a challenge to implement the leadership programs.

I absolutely support creating a real-time environmental and climate cultural assessment through the use of a departmental emotional intelligence assessment. Once take, debriefed and consumed we can then contribute to the development of a plan of action to help development leadership and communications skills.

I would call one by one the best “players” according to the economic capabilities of the company. So obvious and also so difficult. This is much more complex than we think.

Agree, as mentioned earlier, feedback and feed forward play an important role. If any specific area needs more attention, providers should drive them through examples, anecdotes, analogies, scenarios, role plays and simulated activities for hands on practical experience and then have interactions at different stages of interventions . This helps fine tune, align and leads to high performance.

After defining your needs, seek references . Network to find services that have delivered excellent results in the areas of your needs.

In my experience from what my clients tell me, it is very helpful to have an extensive discussion about the scope, the contents, and the formats as well as expectations regarding time investment from the facilitator(s) and the involved managers.

Die best evaluiertest Programme, Tools oder Personen verfehlen ihr Ziel, wenn sie nicht zu den Bedarfen oder Möglichkeiten des Unternehmens passen. Deshalb würde ich immer für Angebote plädieren, die sich die Zeit nehmen, die Unternehmenskultur und das System zu verstehen. Eine:n Leader:in zu entwickeln, bedeutet immer, die Kultur zu verändern - ob dies gewünscht ist oder nicht! Insofern ist es relevant, ob 1:1 oder in Gruppenprogrammen, die systematischen Auswirkungen mit zu bearbeiten.

Yes, please “decide” to fund, take action and assign leadership responsibility for team and individual engagement and adoption of the proposed strategic remedies. Create timelines and get busy with an implementation strategy.

To make a decision, one of the key stakeholders is the decision maker. They are the ones that need to buy in to the decision because they’ll be your supporters when the program is implemented.

If your organization is struggling to find the best leadership development services, make a decision by combining your analysis with your intuition. Review the findings from your research and compare options based on quality, relevance, value, and compatibility. Additionally, trust your instincts about which service provider aligns best with your organization's culture and goals. Sometimes, intuitive judgment based on interactions with service providers and understanding their approach can be as crucial as quantitative analysis. Choose the option that feels like the best fit for your organization, ensuring it aligns with your strategic objectives and leadership needs.

Before you make a decision always consult your key stakeholders. A decision is great only if it meet the needs of all or most of the people involved.

Part of the decision process is also to get feedback from the leaders on what they feel they need and would like. Include them in the decision making as in the end it’s their development you are working on. If the leaders buy in upfront the concept doesn’t need to be sold to them but rather they will engage in it from the start.

My top tip is to always involve the stakeholders, the higher-ups, or whoever is the ultimate decision maker in the company, because if they do not stand behind what you’re hoping to accomplish, your decision will only result in development that is not full-fledged and not cost-effective at the end of the day. It’s important to have them invested from the start!

You need to make a decision based on your leadership team's individual preferences too. Each leader will resonate with different styles of development services. Each leader will resonate with different mentors/coaches/consultants. It's important to have each leader part of the decision making process, so that they can build a trusting and transformative relationship with their coach/consultant/mentor.

You can't buy leadership skills. Just like you can't hire someone to do push-ups for you. You can foster, nurture, and guide towards the development of leadership skills and behaviors. Therefore, making a decision towards an initiative is the first step of a mid-term commitment, usually even long-term. Make sure this initiative is backed by top-management because if they torpedo such a program, you're just throwing away money.

It is imperative to know what you are looking for in a leader. To do so, one must first understand the challenges and strengths of the organization and the people within it. Is the company running smoothly, and to what extent? Is the organizational culture sound? How about a compelling vision? One must be able to elaborate deeply and objectively, which is accomplished best by sending out an anonymous survey polling the employees (regarding strengths, weaknesses etc). To find an optimal match, take all of this into consideration before choosing anyone. These insights will lead you in the right direction to assure the success of such initiatives.

Da die Führungskräfteentwicklung eines Unternehmens ein stetiger Prozess ist, sollten Entscheidungen für verschiedene. Angebote oder Interventionen gut überlegt und immer wieder evaluiert werden. Was in einer Firma gut funktioniert, kann in der anderen weniger gut ankommen. Eine seriöse Beratung, Trainer oder Coaches sind evaluationsfähig und auch bereit auszusteigen, wenn sie nicht erfolgreich sind.

The phase of evolution of the organisation must be taken into consideration, rather than looking for copy and paste solutions or one size fits all approach. In addition is to find a partner or partners with aligned values and culture, after internally building systems that allow for collaboration for best outcomes. Ownership of the process lies with leadership or line managers but HR must be carried along as trusted advisors. Learning and development and ultimately building a knowledge organisation should take the entire HR value chain into consideration. There’s a link to recruitment, onboarding, reward, performance management, employee engagement and eventual off boarding.

Do a honest introspection and assess if all the required ingredients to develop leaders within the organisation is in place like experienced mentors, talents, willingness to learn, ability to take risk, genuine empowerment, delegation, willingness to let go, succession planning and finally rewards, recognition. No food will be tasty if all required ingredients is not in place…

If your organization is struggling to find the best leadership development services, consider seeking feedback from previous clients to gauge effectiveness and satisfaction. Evaluate the flexibility of services to ensure they can be tailored to your specific needs. Assess how well the services integrate with existing programs and their scalability to accommodate growth. Look for options that offer ongoing support and follow-up to ensure sustained impact. Ensure that the service provider’s philosophy aligns with your organizational values and culture. Additionally, consider the provider’s track record of success and their ability to innovate and adapt to emerging trends. These factors will help you make a well-rounded decision.

In this order: Assess needs, set clear objectives, research providers, evaluate programs, prioritize customization, consider budget, engage stakeholders, pilot programs, prioritize continuous improvement, and establish a feedback loop.

There is a quote by Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker from their book School Culture Rewired: “The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate”. The most important factors in determining leadership development systems and solutions are: Will the Csuite commit to learning the models, principles and language used in development programs themselves? Will they champion them and role model the behaviors? Will there be any consequence for those who do not, and recognition for leaders who do? These questions really test the commitment of the exec team’s Leadership POV, and leaders of all levels are watching for alignment and accountability with any leadership development work.

Leaders need to be aware of various services and offerings in the market. They should network and listen to vendor offerings regularly. When I was in the corporate world and leading various teams, I would regularly meet with Vendors to understand what they had to offer. This helped me make faster decisions and closures when there was a need in the organization.

Your organization is running a powerful leadership development program 24/7. That program is the behavior of senior execs. Whatever training programs you have put in place will never get you further than the modeling the senior execs offer, even when they think no one is watching. The highest leverage investment you can make in developing your people is helping the exec team to develop themselves. The rest will follow.

If your organization is having difficulty finding the best leadership development services, assess the methodologies, approaches, and techniques used by potential providers. Ensure they align with your organization's culture, values, and preferred learning styles. By doing so, you can identify and select the most suitable leadership development services to cultivate influential leaders who drive success and growth.