Targeted support and skills development play a central role in management development. Especially in times of dynamic markets and changing management behaviour, companies attach great importance to continuously supporting and developing their managers. Management development is therefore not a one-off project, but an ongoing process that strengthens individual skills and opens up new perspectives.
Leadership development as competence building: basics and significance
Sustainable management development focuses on the targeted development of professional and social skills. It combines formal training programmes with practical experience in projects or day-to-day work. Companies from the SME sector as well as international corporations therefore invest in tailor-made programmes to prepare managers for challenges in the best possible way.
For example, a manufacturing company uses seminars on the topic of „conflict management“ combined with systemic coaching to promote communication skills. In an IT company, learning on the job is also practised in order to expand technical and methodological skills directly in the project environment. A financial services provider establishes mentoring programmes in which experienced managers pass on their expertise to junior staff in a targeted manner.
Diverse methods to promote leadership skills
Leadership development includes many tried and tested methods that can be combined as modules as required. Below are three practical examples:
- Coaching: In a medium-sized mechanical engineering company, managers use systemic coaching to better understand team dynamics and make management decisions more confidently.
- Job rotation: A multinational group introduces rotation programmes so that managers can get to know different business areas. This broadens their strategic understanding and strengthens networking within the company.
- Simulations and role-playing games: Negotiation situations are practised realistically in a pharmaceutical company. Participants develop their communication and conflict resolution skills in a tangible way.
The combination of these methods is often the key to effective leadership development. It makes it possible to build up different competences in a targeted manner and to react flexibly to different learning situations.
Practical example: Support through transruption coaching
Many managers turn to us for transruption coaching on a variety of topics. For example, we support employees in change processes who want to sharpen their self-awareness or learn how to deal with resistance. In one anonymised case, a manager from the technology sector was closely supported in a complex project. We were able to provide impulses that significantly supported the development of competences in communication and conflict moderation.
BEST PRACTICE with one customer (name hidden due to NDA contract) In a medium-sized service company, individual coaching sessions enabled managers to successfully lead an open-department project to market maturity. During the individual phases, competences such as clarity of purpose, team coordination and conflict resolution were systematically promoted and reflected upon, leading to visible success within the company.
Tips for effective leadership development through competence building
To ensure that management development has a lasting effect, it is advisable to consider the following points:
- Individual needs analysis: Development should always be based on the specific challenges and resources of the manager.
- Variety of methods: A mix of coaching, mentoring, seminars and practical assignments promotes various skills.
- Regular reflection: Employee appraisals and feedback help to visualise learning progress and adapt measures.
- Support from the organisation: Managers need the freedom and support to implement what they have learnt.
For example, an international retail company can use continuous development meetings to ensure that managers realise their full potential while keeping pace with changing requirements.
My analysis
Leadership development in the sense of building competences supports companies in shaping effective leaders. It is a multi-layered, individualised process that is effectively designed using a well thought-out combination of proven methods. Coaching, mentoring, practical experience and reflective elements enable managers to continuously improve their behaviour and decisions and meet the growing demands.
Companies that strategically pursue leadership development benefit from a stronger leadership culture, greater employee satisfaction and better economic success. In particular, personal support in projects - as offered by transruptions coaching - provides individual impetus and promotes sustainable development. In this way, leadership development remains a living process that combines competence building and practical transfer.
Further links from the text above:
How can leadership development succeed? - Methods, ...
Coaching methods for day-to-day management
Leadership development: Methods & practical tips
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