Leadership Development Program Design Thinking
There are MANY forms of leadership programs out there, as you probably are aware. The degrees of scope, comprehensiveness, extensibility and delivery quality varies SIGNIFICANTLY.
I thought to offer some tips here on leadership development program design, which are really strategies that I apply when customizing a leadership program for my clients.
In todays complex, high velocity, uncertain world, a leadership program should not be a once and done, but rather that very beginning of a continuous journey. It must be transformational and ultimately become part of the fabric of beliefs, attitudes and behaviors of the entire organization.
Is the content relevant to the unique situations that you face? Does it holistically align with your mission and vision?
Will the content provided a common leadership behavioral language?
Is the program systematically designed, thereby showing the A to B to C to Z connections?
Does it encompass and address the contemporary challenges and opportunities that leadership faces?
Does it accurately portray what it takes to lead? In other words, sometimes we hear “just do this or this one thing”. There is no “one thing”. There are MANY combined strategies that need to be situationally applied. If someone tells you “just do this”, that is not a leadership program. Rather, it’s a marketing ploy or experience shortfall.
Will it scale to all levels in the organization with minimal customization?
Will it enable the organization to purposefully build a culture?
Does it provide for self assessments and reflections to aid in personal discovery and growth?
Is it delivered in an experientially (experience based, not “in theory”) manner?
Finally, and with high importance, can it delivered motivationally so that it holds attention and inspires action? No one wants to be “lectured” these days. Not one wants to be talked down to from an ego perspective. Most of us are also conditioned to be “entertained” some from the movies, streaming services, news outlets, etc.. Does the program delivery design (and those who are qualified to teach it, have the ability to do that) truly enable that?
If you need more on a leadership program design, reach out to me at:slavinskijack@gmail.com