Designing a Leadership Development Process (Questions to Ask)

Here are some crucial things to think about when designing a leadership development process:

Is it on-going or a one-time training event? Leadership development, just like personal development, is a process and cannot be accomplished in one sitting.
Have you identified what your leaders must know and be able to do in order to be effective? A list of targeted skills and/or abilities (those popular competencies) are crucial before formal leadership development opportunities can be designed.
Is there a self-awareness component to the process? As trite as it may sound, Socrates’ credo “know thyself” is the foundation to any development process. Many assessment tools are available to assist, but remember, the tool is only as good as the knowledge, depth, and ability of the person administering and explaining it. Individuals with limited knowledge unintentionally misuse assessments and their effectiveness is sullied as a result.
Is there a feedback element built-in? Only through feedback can our blind spots be revealed, and an ideal way to receive it is through a 360-degree feedback instrument. These allow you to rate yourself on certain pre-determined leadership skills, and then have your boss, peers, and direct reports rate you on the same areas. The results are often eye opening and surprising when one sees gaps in his/her own perception as compared to the perception of others. A word of caution again: there are many tools out there and they can cause more harm than good if not used with care and experience. Like anything else, a strength can turn into a weakness if used inappropriately.
Is there an individualized component to the process? Do managers have an opportunity to select an area for development and design a plan to achieve it? Not everyone needs to work on the same skills. Do you provide individualized coaching and support to help managers achieve these development plan goals?
Is there a strong business focus to your program? Do you provide opportunities for managers to brainstorm ideas about business strategy and understand the business better? Do you practice scenario planning with the group and think towards the future together? Do you involve them in your operational planning? Do you communicate the business goals clearly and how each area fits into it? Do you involve them in the process?
Do you give assignments and projects to the managers involved in the program to ensure continued growth, application, and sustained impact? Do you provide the on-going support necessary for success?
Do you provide formal training opportunities for the skills deemed most critical for organizational success?
Do you and the rest of the executive team go through the process yourselves?
Do your executives lead business strategy sessions and share their success stories in structured settings?
What is the company culture like? Is it highly hierarchical with tight controls? Is it unstructured and “loose” with “bottom-up” decision-making? What does one need to know to operate effectively in either of the two?
Are goals, roles, levels of authority, and expectations clearly communicated? Are there unspoken “rules” which, if broken, are career destroying? What are the politics or the established protocols in the company? Are they communicated openly or must one step on a landmine to find them?
Are there certain new behaviors that will be sabotaged by the culture even after training is conducted? For example, will the hierarchical structure always revert to top-down decision-making even though “participatory” decisions are encouraged? If so, are the boundaries of authority communicated clearly in order to minimize confusion and frustration?