Company leaders at all levels have an important role in how employees learn, perform, and carry out responsibilities. But the skills to lead a team, and ultimately an entire organization, to success aren’t always innate qualities inherited by individuals in leadership positions. Luckily, leadership skills don’t need to be innate. They can be learned and developed at any point in life. One of the most effective ways to develop leadership skills relevant to a specific business or industry is through leadership training. But what is leadership training, exactly? 

This article explains what leadership training entails and how it can be used within your organization. In this guide, you will learn:

1. What is leadership training?
2. Why leadership training is important
3. Types of leadership training
4. How you can successfully implement leadership training within your organization

What is leadership training?

Employee training usually focuses on skills required to carry out specific tasks. But leadership training focuses on the qualities required to inspire others to succeed. Leadership training is a program designed to help individuals in leadership positions develop hard and soft skills. They can then use these skills to motivate a team to effectively reach personal career goals that align with the company’s goals. 

Leadership training can be used to:

• Identify potential future leaders within a company
• Prepare employees to step into a leadership role
• Help seasoned leaders learn and develop skills for more effective leadership practices
• Develop more efficient and effective workplace processes and practices

Businesses within every industry must constantly evolve to remain competitive. Just as leadership roles change as a company evolves, so too must its leadership training programs change to meet new demands and trends. Leadership development training provides individuals in supervisory roles with the tools they need to stay current in their industry and meet their companies’ changing needs. 

Why is leadership training important?

Good leaders empower teams by setting an example. These individuals face leadership with a willingness to learn and evolve in a supervisory role to meet the needs of their teams. In a nutshell, leadership training is important because it benefits the entire organization. These are the key benefits that organizations can acquire with an effective leadership training program: 

Increased productivity and improved performance

Leadership training helps learners develop strategic skills and soft skills that form a powerful combination to improve overall organizational performance. When company leaders learn more about strategies that aid business development, they can make impactful business decisions and create initiatives that steer a business toward specific organizational goals. 

By adding the development of essential soft skills, individuals in supervisory roles can lead teams more effectively. For example, improved communication skills enable leaders to:

• Provide better instructions
• Resolve conflicts
• Display positivity 

These changes increase the productivity and performance of all team members. 

Company growth

What is leadership training’s effect on company growth? A recent McKinsey study revealed that employees are seeking more than money to stay with a company for the long term. In a survey of employees who recently left their jobs, 35% left because they didn’t have caring leaders. Another 35% left because of a lack of career development and advancement potential. 

Leadership training tackles both of these crucial issues. The interpersonal skills learned in leadership training can help managers empathize with employees. By investing in leadership training, companies also show employees their commitment to advancement opportunities. Providing such opportunities is also a great way for companies to avoid leadership gaps in the company.

Improved company culture

What is leadership training going to do for your company culture? A positive company culture is built around respect, open communication, appreciation, and meaningful work. Leadership programs provide valuable insight into the tools and behaviors needed to build a positive company culture. Leaders who learn these techniques will:

• Lead by example
• Show appreciation for team members’ efforts
• Encourage employee feedback

A strong organizational culture increases employee engagement which further improves culture creating a snowball effect.

Increased innovation

The way companies approach business tactics is changing dramatically, especially with the influx of artificial intelligence. These changes improve customer convenience and help businesses develop new products. 

However, keeping up with modern technology is no easy task. Modern leadership training can inform individuals in leadership roles about best practices for new technology. Leaders can also develop important skills that help them adapt to industry shifts and effectively navigate new territory. 

Types of leadership training

Leadership training is an organization’s effort to provide employees with skills that can help them become stronger leaders. In the same way that companies are unique in the way they operate, different types of professional development training may work best for different companies. These are the most common types of leadership training programs. 

External coaching

Often used for the advanced training of senior executives, external coaching brings a unique perspective to an organization’s leadership style. It also helps for internal parties to hear these external viewpoints at times. 

Professional leadership coaches have a lot of education and experience in their craft. Seasoned coaches work with leaders in a variety of positions and industries. They then take these experiences into their training efforts. External coaching can be personalized to fit the needs of your company and the specific areas where a leader is struggling.

Learning management systems

Online learning provides organizations and their employees with increased flexibility and self-paced learning. A learning management system (LMS) is software used to create and distribute online courses and manage learning programs. Many people now use LMS platforms in employee training. However, they are also very effective for leadership training. While most leadership training programs are provided by a third party, an LMS enables organizations to design and distribute training tailored to their business and even specific roles. 

For example, the Docebo Learning platform supports the entire learning lifecycle. An organization can use the LMS to:

• Create unique leadership training content
• Manage courses and learning materials
• Deliver courses to employees
• Measure results

Using an LMS for leadership development programs breaks down geographical barriers, increases personalized learning, and allows users to learn at their own pace. 

Leadership training seminars

Typically designed to teach large groups, leadership training seminars are hosted by professionals who can answer employee questions in real-time. Seminars are short learning sessions lasting anywhere from an hour to a full day. They are useful for introducing leadership qualities to more inexperienced people and often have a specific focus. 

For instance, a seminar may focus on emotional intelligence or agile processes. Leadership training seminars often take place in a physical location and include team-building activities. But they can also happen virtually as a webinar.

Leadership workshops

Another common type of leadership development and training, leadership workshops are usually made up of a series of learning sessions dedicated to a specific goal or skill set. These can be conducted by internal or external providers and can be held virtually or in person. Workshops usually consist of a lecture-group work format meaning the lesson is taught and then participants have an opportunity to discuss the lesson with others or complete activities in groups. This expands the learning experience by providing valuable insights from both the facilitator and other participants.

How you can successfully implement leadership training within your organization

If your organization is looking into what is leadership training, then finding the right process is a priority. Leadership training is a complex process that helps organizations define specific qualities that make great leaders for their specific circumstances. As such, you should tailor the training toward company needs and distinct goals. 

To get the most out of any leadership training program, it’s essential to take certain steps to prepare and carry out the learning process in a way that aligns with business objectives. These steps can help you define your company’s needs and implement the leadership training program most likely to fit your culture. 

1. Define your goals

Before choosing a leadership training program, know what you hope to accomplish. The learning objectives you set should align with your broader company goals. For example, if your company seeks to expand its workforce to offer more services or products, then your learning objective could be to foster leadership skills and identify potential leaders to manage the growing workforce.  By clearly defining your goals before you begin searching for a solution, you can narrow down the selection to choices most likely to meet your needs. 

2. Determine the skills you wish to develop

So, what is leadership training beyond the learning objectives and larger goals? From there, you can break down your learning objectives to identify specific skills and information that need to be taught. If you want to cultivate new leadership talent from your existing team, you’ll likely need to teach things like:

• Strong communication skills
• How to grow skills and knowledge in others
• Actionable steps for perpetuating company goals
• Techniques for creating innovative solutions
• Workload management

However, if you have a more specific goal of improving empathy among leaders, then you’ll likely need to teach things like emotional intelligence, compassion, and mental health awareness. Leadership training programs come in all shapes and sizes with transferable skills as the focus. 

3. Consider the learning format most likely to meet your employees’ needs

All learning and development programs should be easily accessible to maximize effectiveness. You can get a clear understanding of the ways employees prefer to learn by engaging in one-on-one discussions or providing detailed surveys. By providing the learning programs your employees and company leaders are most interested in, you’re likely to achieve higher adoption rates and improved results. 

Add value with leadership training

Leadership skills training is the most effective way to prepare leaders to excel in their roles, and knowing what is leadership training can start you on your journey. By providing a leadership training course most likely to fit the needs of your employees, you can generate results that improve organizational culture, performance, and productivity. Visit our glossary for more resources about the value of ongoing education and training in the workplace.