What are the best ways to identify the leadership development needs of your institution?

Leadership isn't just about guiding others; it's about fostering an environment where every team member can thrive and contribute to their fullest potential. In today's dynamic world, leadership development is crucial for organizational resilience and innovation. It involves recognizing individuals who not only show initiative and drive but also possess the emotional intelligence to inspire and motivate their peers. Investing in these leaders of tomorrow means investing in personalized development plans that cater to their unique strengths and areas for growth, ensuring that the future of our organizations is in capable and diverse hands.

Leadership development needs to be tailored. Training for leaders regardless of their backgrounds, young or old should be rigorous. Leadership development should not be a one size fits all program. Mistakes happen when leadership performance is not monitored by the appropriate departments. I worked for a company that sent surveys to staff before internal promotion to a leadership role took place. The survey was to gather information about the person's performance to make sure they aligned with the vision, mission, and values of the organisation. If the performance was not as expected the promotion was rejected. This idea may benefit large institutions where people in leadership roles can get neglected in the development process.

The best ways to identify the leadership development needs of your institution include conducting surveys or assessments to gather feedback from staff and stakeholders, analyzing performance data and trends, seeking input from senior leaders and managers, conducting interviews or focus groups with key personnel, and benchmarking against industry standards and best practices.

Engage in thoughtful reflection directly with the leaders. Are they inspired, energized, confident? Or perhaps exhausted, frustrated, burned out, lacking in knowledge or skill? Having honest conversation with leaders in a way where they can be vulnerable in their self assessment creates the trust needed for future training, analyses, performance plans and coaching. Ask first, understand their pain points, and collaborate on the appropriate approach to get sustainable leadership development practices.

In my role as a faculty member, I've been involved in a leadership development program offered by my university. This program, which requires nominations for participation, offers specialized programming for both faculty and staff. Building connections on campus is key to driving important initiatives forward. The program I'm part of brings together faculty and staff to enhance collaboration. While the concept is strong, it can be challenging to ensure the learning content is relevant to each group. A good goal is to strike a balance among participants so that everyone can benefit from learning experiences tailored to their job roles.

When designing curriculum to meet current needs, consider organizing content by job title and, in certain cases, by gender. For instance, in a training program I'm part of, assignments like resume and vitae are tailored to specific roles – vitae may be more relevant for faculty than staff. Grouping participants by job title for such tasks can be beneficial. Additionally, offering gender-specific training, such as supporting women in advancing through academic ranks with a focus on leadership, research, and teaching development, can enhance their experience and promote early resilience and confidence. I would also suggest that active learning should be incorporated into any learning or training programs.

Monitoring program outcomes is essential to assess success and drive continuous improvement. Feedback plays a vital role in providing valuable insights for enhancing outcomes. Our institution's leadership development program empowers participants to design, develop, and execute projects over a nine-month period. This approach fosters collaboration, expands professional networks, and ensures quality project outcomes while securing stakeholder buy-in. Feedback from participants, direct supervisors, and on-campus stakeholders is instrumental in refining the program for the benefit of all involved. The outcomes should be obvious and benefit all stakeholders.