Feature Article: Filling your leadership pipeline

Take a look around you. Where are the leaders in your company? Have they disappeared? Who can you count on to lead your organisation through this next phase of growth?

If you are experiencing a scarcity of leadership in your company, you are not alone. The problem is rampant and becoming a distinct detractor for companies that want to maintain competitive advantage. As the baby boomers continue to exit the work force over the next several years, many companies will find they are losing a generation of leadership. In the meantime, leadership training and development have been much overlooked during the austere era following the dot com bust and the September 11th tragedy. When costs are cut, training and development programs often suffer the first blows. In addition, many companies have held back on promotions in order to reduce expenses. These short-sighted measures have left even those companies poised for new growth without the leaders they need to take them into the future.

As for those leaders you currently have in position, are they ready to face the challenges of leadership as it transforms over the next few years? The nature of work is changing at an accelerating pace as broadband and telecommunications make the virtual workforce a reality. Work is becoming more decentralised, and leaders increasingly find themselves in situations that require them to lead people whom they seldom see face to face. Unlearning old ways of "command and control" leadership and learning new ways to manage virtually are key challenges. Managing virtually requires extra effort in designing and delegating tasks to ensure geographically remote staff don't duplicate or contradict each others efforts. However "command and control" techniques don't motivate staff in the way that "empowered authority" does.

What are companies doing to address this challenge in leadership? Some companies, such as IBM, have identified their next generation of leaders throughout the organization. These next generation leaders are assigned mentors and coaches, and are brought together for quarterly seminars led by top executives who share the vision of the company and the challenges the company is facing. Other companies are investing in executive education by bringing in professors in strategy, organisational change, finance, marketing and leadership to teach a select group of emerging leaders in the company. The result can be compared to an in-house MBA.

Classroom training is no longer the sole mainstay of an effective leadership training initiative. Many forward-thinking companies extend leadership training beyond the classroom by:

• Augmenting training through the effective use of technology.
• Providing access to leadership coaches who assist in setting goals and reinforcing leadership principles.
• Assigning mentors to help these new leaders navigate the maze of corporate structure and politics.

Effective leadership development today, encourages learning within the context of people's work. For example, GE requires their executives to teach and develop other leaders within the company. This is based on an assumption that great leaders are great teachers. Leaders are expected to develop "lessons" based on their knowledge, experience, and values, and to articulate those lessons to others. This approach goes beyond mentoring, requiring significant executive commitment in both time and effort.

What are the suggested next steps to halt a company's looming leadership crisis?

1) The first and most important step is to define the leadership competencies necessary to support the organization's strategy. These will define the blueprint for recruiting, selecting and promoting leaders.
2) Next, understand the leadership skills that you already have.
3) Identify the gaps in knowledge and skills. Design programmes to help the company and its leaders bridge these.
4) Design a rotational job framework to develop the breadth of leaders' experiences.
5) Set expectations and establish performance measures to encourage self development and the development of others.
6) Track progress and reward success.

This approach is an effective long-term strategy. You may need to perform some short-term triage on your current leadership development efforts. Consider implementing a structured mentoring programme or assign external leadership coaches to work with your high potential leaders. Ask your best leaders to commit to developing leadership in others, and recognize them for those efforts.

Good leadership strategy begins at the top, with visible and demonstrative executive sponsorship on the values of leadership. The commitment of current executives to develop next generation leaders is an essential element of business and organisational growth.

Carol Graser

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