In my time creating leadership development for the Sephora inside JCPenney division of JCPenney, we quickly recognized that few of our internal team members were getting promoted to the "Beauty Manager" position. Though they had internal business knowledge, they lacked the kind of leadership experience necessary to step into the role, and it affected engagement and retention. We created an "Emerging Leaders" program designed for Senior Product Consultants and Operations Consultants, the roles typically most qualified to take on the Beauty Manager role. The program consisted of specific self-paced virtual training classes to complete, a self-study workbook, and prescribed on-the-job experiences designed to give learners exposure to many of the situations he/she would face once promoted. While completing the program didn't guarantee promotion, it helped the person become a more competitive candidate. We definitely saw a lift in internal promotions because of this program!
Mentorships are key to nurturing next-generation leaders; that's why I'm always aiming to pair new workers with established employees. To make this program work, I carefully account for personality. While some might think that pairing like-minded people together would have the best results, I've found the opposite is true. Putting an introvert under the tutelage of an introvert, for example, won't push anyone out of their comfort zone, and will likely amplify existing weaknesses. Instead partner employees up like you're equalizing a kid's sports team -- the strongest workers should be dispersed, and talents should be carefully balanced. Recently, I paired one of my most detail-oriented workers with a big-personality new hire. The effect was a team skilled at every stage of the process, from rote tasks to specialized networking.
We’ve built out a robust Employee Resource Group (ERG) program, so next-generation leaders can build a strong community and develop with the help of peer support. Groups like Womxn of Checkr (WOC) gives a space for diverse and traditionally underrepresented groups to support, empower, and encourage each other. Of course, ERGs don’t replace the support of management, but they’re a powerful piece of leadership development.
This process starts by taking the "inexperienced" that have all the right potential and characteristics and giving them an opportunity, if you have succeeded in the role train them yourself if not get them with the best person to learn from. The next step is going to sound a little crazy to many employers...career pathing. Define success for them in their current role & what roles they could evolve into (upward & lateral moves). Give them something to work for & give them an idea about their potential and an acknowledgement that you see their potential for more. I have seen this one practice yield 50%-70% higher retention rates. The most frequent reason people cite as their reason for leaving employers is not having room or ability to grow in their role. It's always good to promote internally, and most employers say they do. My best guess is less than half do. Employees are living, breathing, business continuity. Invest in the good ones, their leadership may one day make or break you.
Using virtual reality (VR) in leadership development revolutionizes how we nurture tomorrow's leaders. By enabling individuals to step into their colleagues' shoes, VR plays a pivotal role in amplifying empathy and reducing exclusion, thereby fostering a more inclusive work culture. This immersive technology allows leaders to experience different perspectives, leading to a deeper understanding of the diverse experiences and challenges faced by their team members. As they navigate these virtual real situations, leaders are also pushed out of their comfort zones, encouraging them to take risks and think innovatively. This 'walk a mile' approach via VR not only enhances their emotional intelligence but also cultivates courage and fosters innovation, essential traits for effective leadership in the 21st century. Thus, VR is emerging as a powerful tool in shaping empathetic, courageous, and innovative leaders capable of driving positive change in the workplace.
This is a mission I truly enjoy because it enables the next generation of leaders to create a much better world through the power of technology and visionary orientation. I believe that newcomers are highly attuned to purpose, mission, and legacy, which makes them special. Their sensitivity can be analyzed in the right way. One model I've developed for several companies I've worked with is to be crystal clear about your direction and to assemble a group of individuals who are most enthusiastic about that future, co-opting and training them as future leaders. Alignment with the future is crucial in today's exponential organizations. Then, establish bi-directional mentoring programs between the newcomers and the admired leaders within the organization. The more experienced individuals will learn from the juniors and connect with their expectations, technology, and aspirations, while the juniors will acquire enduring qualities from those they admire and wish to emulate. A genuine-win.
Seems obvious but the best way to nurture talent is to invest in them. Creating programs that provide relevant, impactful, and engaging learning experiences will not only motivate your high potentials but engage other leaders within the organization. One way I've done this is to create year long emerging leader programs that are multifaceted. They included mentorships, community service, shadowing, and formal learning opportunities. So not only are these next generation leaders gaining the knowledge they need in the next step of their career but also learning the business at a deeper level. Upon exit of the program, graduates will be well rounded professionals with an elevated strategic view of the company and industry they are a part of. Not to mention creating meaningful connections with their peers, mentors and other leaders. This approach shows your top level talent that you care about their development and that goes a long way in sustaining a vibrant talent culture.
At Deliberate Directions, we are dedicated to nurturing next-generation leaders through initiatives like the '90-Day Leadership Challenge' a program designed to empower emerging leaders with the skills and confidence they need to excel. Our program's success lies in its structured approach, combining mentorship, along with skills workshops to develop a high performance mindset, emotional intelligence, leadership presence, and interpersonal skills along with real-world project challenges. We regularly assess its impact on participants' career progression, productivity, and feedback. This helps us fine-tune the program to meet evolving needs. Looking ahead, we're excited to expand this initiative, collaborate with more organizations, and explore new ways to foster leadership talent within our organization and beyond. Nurturing the next generation of leaders remains a top priority for us.
I have successfully established Leadership Circles, a valuable platform for leaders to collaborate. This initiative offers emerging leaders a unique opportunity to not only gain insights from the lived experiences of more experienced professionals but also to foster an environment where sharing lessons learned are encouraged. By openly discussing challenges and setbacks, members of the circle can troubleshoot common leadership puzzles and collectively find solutions. Additionally, the circle serves as a supportive network where leaders can navigate career puzzles, receive guidance, and develop strategies for growth. Through the sharing of diverse perspectives and experiences, emerging leaders can build their confidence, refine their ideas, and gain valuable knowledge to enhance their professional journeys. Investing in these circles is a catalyst for continuous learning and development, enabling leaders to thrive in their roles and contribute to the overall success of their company.
At dasFlow, we've created a "Leadership Incubator" program to cultivate next-gen leaders. It's not just about lectures; we give rising stars actual projects via "Innovation Pods." These teams tackle real business challenges. One standout pod cut waste and costs by 10%, and its leader now helms our Sustainability Division. The key? Provide hands-on experience and real-world challenges. It turns potential into leadership, fast.
In 2016 we became aware of the risk of high-tenure of a new generation of high-potential talent. For our organization, this meant we could be left stranded without successors for our senior leadership positions in the next couple of years. To be proactive, we decided to launch a program dedicated to those who both desired and had the potential to grow in our company. The twist was, that instead of being selected by their managers, like in a traditional talent program, individuals had to apply and go through a multi-phase recruitment process. Those selected joined a 2-year learning journey which provided them with the opportunity to better understand our company as well as gain critical business acumen. Every one of them was given coaching and regular career reviews with our HR team, to prepare them for a leadership position immediately or later on in their career.
One of the easiest ways to nurture next-generation leaders is to help them understand the value of continuous learning. When many organizations think of this, they think of seminars, training classes, etc. A great tool we've used is to create a learning library within the organization. This initiative creates a literal library at your main office or satellite locations. You stock the shelves with books that have bolstered your career, are appropriate to growing the careers of those in your organization, and allow next-generation leaders the ability to check them out for free. As a bonus, you can hold book clubs or studies where you or another organizational leader dive deep into the book.
The only way for us to recruit employees is with the promise of a career where they grow within the company. We’ve created multiple roles for employees to advance to yearly so their progress is recognized, and they are compensated for it. Every one of our team leads started as a laborer, and most of our office staff started the same way. Everyone that we hire has a clear path into becoming an expert carpenter, manager, and eventually, business person. Name: Rick Berres Website: https://www.honey-doers.com/ Title: Owner of Honey-Doers
To cultivate next-generation leaders in our organization, we emphasize mentorship, specialized leadership training, and tasking them with challenging assignments that hone their skills and broaden their experience. Many participants of this approach have seamlessly transitioned into senior management roles, showcasing the effectiveness of our strategy.
I find that this is really something that starts with hiring practices first and foremost. Finding your leadership candidates after they've been in your organization for a while is something of a dice rolling exercise, whereas selecting for the qualities you're looking for in your future leaders during the interview process and immediately beginning to track them towards leadership development is a more certain process, in my experience. This is more or less what we did in our international expansion, bringing onboard local experts and training them up to help keep our operations moving in those regions.
Mentorship is an important aspect of our leadership development efforts, not only in the traditional sense. With reverse mentorship, we allow these next-generation leaders to offer their knowledge and skills to mentees in older, more experienced generations. Reverse mentorship allows knowledge and skills to flow in all directions rather than downward so that everyone can benefit from the unique view of younger generation professionals. The mentorship process also allows young people to work on their leadership skills and unlock that passion or potential as they guide their mentees through the process.
Provide Mentorship & Coaching It is crucial to provide mentorship and coaching opportunities for those who will become future leaders. When young, up-and-coming talent is combined with more seasoned experts, there is the potential for both sides to gain from the sharing of ideas, information, and experiences. I have invested a huge chunk of my company’s profits to the coaching and mentoring of my employees to ensure they are up-to-date with industry trends and that they feel valued in the organization.
I always find it useful to get your staff supervising contractors as much as possible, within your budget and time allotment. Our writers also edit the work of freelancers. Our graphic designers outsource part of the work to contractors and manage the project on their own. Sometimes there are hiccups, even outright failures. That's expected. What matters is that they're getting the chance to learn how to handle managing others so their leadership journey can continue within our organization. Contractors, freelancers, and temp hires make up their training ground. Once they're ready, we can start having them manage people internally with our full-timers. It's a process that leads to some incredible professionals.
We've always enjoyed nurturing leaders here in our organization, and we do this by fostering accountability and encouraging new hires and aspiring employees to take the initiative and handle decision-making on projects. Each year, everyone gets the opportunity to kick off, manage, and execute a project where they are the ones in charge and accountable for the results, and this is how we foster and nurture leadership within our organization.
We cross-train team members both within departments and between departments. This allows us to promote leaders from within our organization versus hiring from the outside. The process is less expensive for our company. And, since what we do is fairly unique in the marketplace, it allows us to train better leaders than we could hire. For example, we hired a content writer last year. We could tell very quickly that he had the potential to become one of our marketing executives someday. So, we have had him cross-train with some of our website experts. Next, he had him co-write content created by some of our operations experts. When we promote him to the executive level, he doesn't have to be an expert on web development or operations. However, the web developers will report to him. And he will need to work with Operations to create a solid team. So, the more cross-training he has with these people today, the better leader he becomes tomorrow.