KIROI Step 9: Leadership skills development for leaders

In today's working world, managers are faced with increasingly complex challenges. Digital transformation, agile methods and a diverse workforce require constant learning and development from you as a leader. KIROI Step 9 is therefore dedicated to a central topic: leadership development. [1] This includes all targeted measures, methods and tools to sustainably expand your leadership skills and thus successfully shape your team and your organisation. [2] transruptions coaching accompanies you as a leader on this path and helps you to realise your full leadership potential through strategic leadership skills development.

Why leadership skills development is indispensable today

Studies repeatedly show a clear picture: good leadership significantly reduces staff turnover. [5] In concrete terms, this means lower costs and higher productivity for your company. But it's about more than just numbers. Your employees want to develop, feel understood and recognise meaning in their work. [2] You can achieve this through continuous leadership development.

The demands placed on modern managers are diverse. [2] They need expertise in their field, social skills such as communication and conflict resolution, methodical problem-solving skills and, last but not least, self-competence. [2] Sound leadership competence development systematically addresses all of these areas.

What issues do managers come to us with? Clients often report uncertainty during difficult conversations. They struggle with decision-making under pressure. Delegation is difficult for many. Conflicts in the team escalate instead of being resolved. All of these challenges can be tackled with professional support in leadership skills development.

The three pillars of leadership skills development

Coaching and mentoring as core elements

Mentoring and coaching are among the most effective methods of developing leadership skills. [1] A coach works with you on a one-to-one basis and helps you to overcome specific challenges. [11] A mentor, on the other hand, is an experienced leader who shares their experience with you. [1]

Large corporations such as Google and IBM systematically use mentoring to develop their managers. [11] Reverse mentoring is particularly interesting here: younger employees support established managers on digitalisation topics. [5] This promotes mutual learning and breaks down old hierarchies.

BEST PRACTICE with a customer (name hidden due to NDA contract): A medium-sized company from the manufacturing industry implemented a mentoring programme for its junior managers. Experienced managers each mentored two young talents for six months. The result: 90 per cent of the mentees stayed with the company and soon took on management responsibility themselves. The development of leadership skills through mentoring showed measurable success in terms of retention and internal career mobility.

Training and workshops for practical skills

Formal training courses and workshops remain effective tools for developing leadership skills. [11] They teach leadership methods, conflict resolution techniques and team leadership in a structured way. [11] Large corporations such as Siemens and Bosch regularly offer internal programmes. [11]

The important thing about training is its practical orientation. [1] Interactive training sessions with role plays and case studies allow you to practise new skills immediately. [2] You don't just sit in a classroom and listen. Instead, you experience realistic scenarios and develop solutions together with other managers. [2]

Blended learning combines the best of both worlds. Online modules prepare you flexibly. Face-to-face workshops then deepen the knowledge through dialogue and practical exercises. [7] This creates a sustainable learning environment that leads to real behavioural change.

Gain action learning and practical experience

The most effective leadership development is through hands-on experience. [2] Action learning combines problem solving with learning: you work in teams on real projects or challenges in your organisation. [11] Companies such as Lufthansa have successfully integrated this approach. [11]

Rotation programmes also support your development. [5] You get to know different areas, build up cross-departmental understanding and understand process dependencies. [3] This holistic view makes you a better leader.

BEST PRACTICE with a customer (name hidden due to NDA contract): A logistics company introduced rotations for junior managers. Young leaders spent four months in different departments. One candidate rotated between warehouse, sales and accounting. This practical development of leadership skills proved successful: he developed empathy for the challenges of other teams and later made significantly better, more holistic decisions as an overall manager.

E-learning and digital formats in modern leadership skills development

E-learning platforms offer a high degree of flexibility for your management skills development. [2] You can learn at any time and from any location. Modules can be repeated and adapted to your everyday life. [2] Compared to pure self-study, e-learning also offers greater interactivity and relevance to the company. [2]

Modern platforms even enable virtual role-playing games to develop social skills. [2] They practise difficult conversations with AI-supported avatars or other participants. This significantly reduces inhibitions in real situations.

However, online courses require more initiative on your part. [5] Without your own discipline, you will get stuck. That's why we often recommend combining online formats with coaching. This gives you a personal point of contact for your questions and challenges in developing your leadership skills.

The systematic approach to leadership skills development

Good leadership skills development follows a clear process. [9] The first step is to analyse: Where do you stand today? [3] What are your strengths? What competences do you still need? [3] Only on the basis of this as-is analysis can managers be strategically developed. [9]

The second step is to create an individual development plan. [3] This plan contains concrete goals, suitable methods and a time frame. [3] A good plan takes into account your personal learning styles and your professional situation.

This is followed by implementation with continuous support. [7] Leadership development is not a one-off event, but an ongoing process. [7] Regular reflection and adaptation of the plan ensure that you stay on course.

BEST PRACTICE with a customer (name hidden due to NDA contract): An insurance group implemented a holistic leadership development programme for 50 middle managers. First, a competency matrix was created. This was followed by individual counselling with each manager. The company then combined online modules with group coaching and peer learning sessions. After nine months, the results showed that employee satisfaction had increased by 23 per cent and three managers were ready for promotion. This systematic leadership development delivered measurable ROI.

Leadership skills development in various industries and contexts

Different industries, different requirements

A manufacturing company needs a different focus for leadership development than a tech start-up. [7] In industry, operational excellence and process control are central. [7] A division manager at Bosch focuses heavily on efficiency, quality and team organisation.

In the financial sector, on the other hand, the focus is on compliance and risk management. Here, managers learn how to fulfil regulatory requirements and remain innovative at the same time. Leadership skills development must take these specific contexts into account.

What they all have in common, however, is that leadership development requires a clear strategy. [7] The methods and content must be linked to the company's objectives. [7] This is the only way to make a sustainable contribution to the company's success.

Developing leadership skills in the context of digitalisation

Digitalisation is dramatically changing leadership requirements. Remote teams, asynchronous communication and virtual collaboration require new skills. [5] Leadership skills development must address these digital realities.

Reverse mentoring helps: younger employees with an affinity for digitalisation support established managers. [5] This is particularly valuable for topics such as digitalisation, but also inclusion and modern work culture. [5]

The ability to lead digitally is a core aspect of leadership skills development today. Can you bring teams together virtually? Do you use digital tools effectively? Do you communicate clearly via different channels? These skills can be trained and developed.

transruptions-Coaching: Your support in the development of leadership competences

transruptions-Coaching positions itself as a specialised partner for projects related to leadership development. [1] We do not support you with patent remedies, but with customised solutions.

Our approach is holistic. We start with a thorough analysis of your situation. Then we work together to develop a plan that suits you. Whether individual coaching, group workshops or long-term support: we combine formats in such a way that sustainable leadership skills development is achieved.

Our focus on reflection is particularly valuable. Good leadership skills development requires time for reflection. What have you learnt? Where would you like to act differently? How do you put new insights into practice? These questions are at the centre of our support.

BEST PRACTICE with a customer (name hidden due to NDA contract): A managing director of an agency came to us with the challenge of not delegating his team properly. In a six-month coaching process, we worked intensively with him on the topic of developing trust and delegation. Parallel workshops with his team promoted trust and psychological security. The development of leadership skills through this combined support meant that the managing director had more strategic time and at the same time the employees became more autonomous and satisfied.

Avoid mistakes when developing leadership skills

Common mistakes in leadership development are quickly identified. [3] The first mistake: poor candidate selection. [3] Not everyone is ready for a management position. A precise analysis of potential is essential.

The second mistake: lack of planning. [3] If leadership skills development takes place in isolation, without any connection to corporate goals, the effect is lost. The manager returns to the old rut.

The third mistake: too little support. Leadership development is a marathon, not a sprint. Continuous measures over several m