Leadership development is a key component in ensuring the performance and future viability of companies. It is precisely through targeted skills development that leaders can be supported in such a way that they can master complex challenges and manage their teams effectively. This article will provide you with practical insights and examples of how leadership development can succeed in a targeted manner.
Leadership development: Methods for sustainable competence building
Those responsible for supporting management development rely on a variety of tools. These include both formal and informal forms of learning. Managers benefit from seminars, coaching and mentoring programmes, but also take advantage of learning opportunities in their day-to-day work. A manufacturing company, for example, uses job rotation to give managers a better understanding of interdepartmental relationships. At the same time, a start-up supports its young managers with regular feedback sessions and coaching to strengthen their communication and conflict resolution skills.
International corporations such as Siemens also integrate structured leadership programmes with digital modules and face-to-face workshops that specifically promote skills in strategic management. Leadership development thrives on the combination of these measures, which are tailored to the respective development stage and individual needs.
Targeted coaching: individualised support in day-to-day management
Coaching is regarded as an effective development tool to support managers in solving specific problems. For example, a medium-sized IT company uses systemic coaching to help managers understand the interdependencies within their teams. This enables managers to improve their team communication and strengthen their leadership role at the same time.
As part of goal-orientated coaching based on the GROW model, managers in a consultancy agency set clear goals and develop specific measures. Creative methods such as role-playing are also used in a pharmaceutical company to provide practical training for negotiation situations. These approaches not only promote individual skills development, but also encourage innovative problem-solving.
Mentoring and collegial learning processes in management development
Mentoring is a tried and tested method by which experienced managers pass on their knowledge. One industrial company, for example, has established an internal mentoring programme in which senior managers accompany junior managers over a period of several months. This promotes both learning and trust and creates a culture of continuous development.
In addition, many companies utilise peer coaching groups, which offer a space for exchange and reflection. In one service company, managers report that this form of learning opens up new perspectives and enables them to cope better with challenging situations. Such collegial networks help to deepen leadership skills.
Practical implementation: on-the-job and off-the-job learning
Learning directly on the job is a method that makes management development particularly effective and practice-orientated. A logistics company introduces job rotation programmes to enable managers to work in different areas of responsibility. This broadens their understanding of the organisation and allows them to develop more flexible solutions for complex situations.
At the same time, workshops outside of everyday working life promote in-depth reflection and intensive learning. For example, a financial services provider trains its managers in conflict management and leadership skills with practical seminars, making them more confident in dealing with challenging situations. This makes it possible to combine theory and practice.
BEST PRACTICE with one customer (name hidden due to NDA contract) A medium-sized technology company implemented a multi-stage development programme for its managers that combines online modules, face-to-face seminars and systematic coaching. This enabled the managers to expand both their professional and social skills. In addition, the programme was designed in such a way that the participants were responsible for ensuring the transfer to their day-to-day work afterwards, which supported sustainable development.
Management development as a continuous process
Leadership development works best when it is understood as a continuous process. Companies benefit from clearly defining development goals and systematically planning measures, for example through targeted monitoring and evaluation. A manufacturing company introduces feedback rounds at the end of a leadership programme in order to assess learning successes and enable individual adjustments.
It is also important that managers actively utilise the opportunities for development. Clients often report that they receive valuable impetus through individual support as part of transruption coaching, especially when complex change processes are imminent and new leadership requirements arise in hybrid or agile contexts.
My analysis
Today, leadership development through targeted skills development is essential in order to respond professionally to dynamic market conditions and changing requirements. Numerous methods - from coaching and mentoring to workshops and job rotation - offer diverse and customisable ways to strengthen managers. This not only enables personal development, but also a positive transformation of the entire organisation.
With a systematic and practice-oriented approach, competences can be expanded in a well-founded manner and managers are enabled to fulfil their tasks with more confidence and impact. Long-term support, for example through transruption coaching, helps to successfully master challenges and establish leadership development as an ongoing process.
Further links from the text above:
How can leadership development succeed? - Methods, ...
Coaching methods for day-to-day management
Leadership development: Comprehensive guide
Leadership development: methods and concepts
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