Can leadership be learned?

Last week I wrote about the 10 things good leaders should know. If you missed it, click here.

A question I often get asked is - Can leadership be learned?

Some people believe that leadership skills need to come naturally and that it's very hard to learn them.

I believe that leadership is a way of life - it applies to everyone in many situations. You get to choose how to live your life and how to show up in it. With learning, conscious effort and practice, you can certainly uplevel your leadership skills and habits and become a great leader.

So today I'm writing to let you know that leadership can definitely be learned, practiced and improved with the right leadership training, coaching and development programs. It's not just for people who aspire to be managers or executives; leadership skills are useful at all levels of an organization.

Despite this, leadership training is often overlooked or seen as unnecessary. Maybe it's believed that the skills will come while you're on the job. This is a mistake. Learning to be a great leader is beneficial to anyone who wants to improve their (and their team's) performance and career prospects; become more effective at work; and build an organisational culture that promotes growth.

So here are 7 reasons why it's important to invest in leadership training programs

1. Develop Essential Skills in Theory and Practise

There are certain skills that are essential for leaders. Top of mind for many of my clients are communication, people management, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Leadership training can help you to develop these skills. It will give you the opportunity to practice using them and receive feedback from experienced leaders. It helps you to hone your skills and become more confident in using them.

A good leadership development service or program covers the theory behind effective leadership together with its application. There's much information that's freely available, yet application and practice are more difficult to get right. This is why it's important to choose a program that allows you to deal with real issues and practice resolving them.

2. Build Your Network

When it comes to leadership, networks matter. Knowing good people makes it easier for you to get ahead, receive advice and support, and become aware of new opportunities that arise.

A good training program can help you do just that. You get to meet other leaders and learn from their experiences. You also have opportunities to share your own experiences and connect with people who have similar interests, challenges and needs.

3. Understand Different Perspectives

Leadership training can help you to develop the skill of putting yourself in other people's shoes and examining challenges from different perspectives. In addition, it helps you learn and practice dealing with different types of people.

These skills are essential in areas like conflict resolution and relationship building, essential for leadership roles.

4. Create Your Own Style

Every leader has their own style, based on strengths, weaknesses, preferences and personality. It's important to be aware of different styles of leadership together with becoming aware of your own style and how you need to adjust it to be relevant to different situations.

Leadership training programs give you the opportunity to learn from other leaders and get feedback about your style so that you can consciously develop your own unique, authentic and effective leadership style.

5. Set Goals

With clearly set goals, you can develop a plan to achieve them. This includes setting deadlines, identifying resources, and making decisions about the best way to achieve your goals.

Leadership training helps you develop these goal-setting skills and receive feedback from other leaders in the group.

6. Manage Change

We know that change is the only constant in the modern world. To be successful, you need to develop skills to manage change, be agile in your approach and embrace ambiguity. Identifying early signs of change, together with assessing the impact of change, and developing strategies for dealing with it are all critical leadership skills that can be learned.

7. Be More Confident

Last but certainly not least, confidence is a key ingredient of success. It's essential if you want to achieve big goals and reach your full potential.

Continuous learning, practice, feedback and trying new approaches can help you develop confidence. The more opportunities you have to overcome challenges and deal with difficult situations, the more courageous and confident you'll become.

In conclusion, leadership training is an essential part of every leader's development process. It helps you learn the skills you need to become successful in your leadership role.

The same applies to the people you lead. They also benefit from learning leadership skills for the same reasons as you (and from seeing your example, of course!) As a leader, you want to develop more leaders in your business and with the right training, everyone is able to reach their full potential.

If you're looking for a leadership development program or coaching, click here and let's talk!