How do you groom future leaders from within your team?

Before asking “how”, ask “why” first. Check your motivation in doing this, then you will know better on how to. You need to really care about your team before you can build them up. Trust starts with reading your intention. Your team will follow you and show respect to your leadership if they know your motivation is not self centered, then they will want to learn from you.

Identify Potential Leaders: Observe your team members and identify those who exhibit leadership qualities. Provide Feedback: Regularly provide constructive feedback to team members on their performance Mentorship and Coaching: Assign experienced leaders within your organization as mentors or coaches to potential leaders. Leadership Development Programs: Develop or invest in leadership development programs Job Rotation and Stretch Assignments: Offer team members opportunities to take on challenging projects Encourage Decision-Making: Delegate decision-making authority Lead by Example: Demonstrate strong leadership qualities in your own role Create a Leadership Pipeline: Develop a clear career path for potential leaders

While we as leaders assess our team members; one component to talk about and inculcate in one’s team is self-assessment. A simple tool like a self SWOT can shine a light on various aspects. Personally, I have been doing a SWOT for myself and my team members regularly (and also when a role changes) to see where we are at as professionals and as a team and how can we manoeuvre through it.

1. Assess the level at which they are and the gap which is required to be bridged for them to take on leadership roles 2. Be open and candid with your feedback on their gap areas 3. Ensure they develop a growth mindset so they keep continuously working to improve 4. Let them know they are being groomed for leadership roles to ensure retention 5. Have proper retention schemes in place to ensure they do not leave

It is crucial for every individual, regardless of their position, to have a strong foundation of emotional intelligence and feel psychologically safe in their work environment. This foundation will foster a culture of trust, continuous learning, and the freedom to fail without fear of punishment. By creating such an environment, organizations can establish a culture that develops strong leaders from the start. It is important to focus on honing emotional intelligence skills first, as this will naturally lead to effective leadership coaching and training. Even those at the top of the organization need to feel safe and secure before they can effectively lead. Starting with this foundation can lead to long-term success and growth.

• Identify high-potential individuals for leadership roles. • Assign challenging projects to develop problem-solving skills. • Provide mentorship and regular, constructive feedback. • Encourage continuous learning through professional development. • Facilitate cross-functional experiences to broaden perspectives. • Promote a culture of collaboration and innovation. • Foster an environment where team members share insights. • Recognize and celebrate achievements to motivate and inspire. • Create opportunities for team members to lead projects. • Support personal development plans tailored to career goals. By investing in these strategies, you build a pipeline of future leaders ready to drive success.

I explain all of the reasons why it is important for certain processes to be done. A business is made up of many components. Training good leaders takes time. As a manager, your job is to identify your leaders. Then you encourage growth by giving them more responsibility. Making mistakes is a natural part of this process. That is how we learn. Encourage give and take dialogue. Employees may have some insights, respect those ideas. Incorporate new processes. If you value and respect your employees, there is no way you can fail to create leaders.

Do not focus overly on technical knowledge or even performance in a given task. This is not irrelevant of course, but the mark of a great leader is not how well they once sold credit cards or delivered great customer service. What you should look for is the awareness in the individual of the bigger picture. Do they understand the commercial landscape? Are they resilient to change? Do they show strength in soft skills with an ability to communicate clearly and confidently. All things can be learned, and deep industry knowledge is critical at senior level, but temperament, personality and behaviors are the foundations of strong leadership and these are more innate and require longer-term cultivation (coaching and feedback).

Developing self-awareness is key for future leaders. The more an individual understands their own thoughts and emotions the more they will be able to foster a sense of trust with others. Help your team to really understand their own thinking patterns and what behaviours these lead to. Do your team members show self compassion, this may show up as recovering from inevitable mistakes and failures quickly?

Mentoring is a powerful tool to grow: it doesn’t require a certification from the mentor, but only generosity and willingness to share. My advice is to find mentors inside and outside of your company: - those from inside can share valuable insights aligned to your corporate culture and to what is successful in your current organization. - those from outside can give you a different view, which will help you bring something new in your company and build your profile to be bullet-proof in every organization you may work.

Pair team members with experienced colleagues who can provide insights and support tailored to the team's context. Consider bringing in professional coaches who can offer unbiased perspectives and specialized expertise. Schedule consistent meetings to discuss goals, challenges, and achievements. This could be weekly or bi-weekly, depending on individual needs. Leverage your experiences and lessons learned to guide team members. Discuss relevant scenarios from your own career that illustrate effective strategies. Invest time in getting to know your team members on a personal level. Show genuine interest in their aspirations and challenges.

It's important to understand the difference between coaching and mentoring. While both coaching and mentoring aim to support an individual's growth and development, coaching tends to be more task-oriented and focused on specific skills, whereas mentoring is often long-term, relationship-driven, and encompasses broader career and personal development aspects. Sponsorship is important for career development as well, but I believe it's more about "buy in" rather then development.

Effective communication and active listening are pivotal in mentoring. I prioritize regular check-ins with my team, offering guidance while encouraging their input. This two-way communication fosters a nurturing environment for growth and builds trust.

They have high self-awareness. That is, they know what they are good at and what they are bad at, use their strengths, and manage their weaknesses (for example, by working with someone who has complementary strengths). Who is looking to increase their understanding of their skills, talents and competencies? Who accepts any kind of feedback? Who seeks feedback and acts constructively to improve?

Be confident in your decisions One of your main duties as a leader is to make quick and confident decisions. Your team must trust that you are capable of making decisions. When you confidently commit to your decisions, employees will trust your abilities as a leader.

Successful mentorship and coaching unlocks employee potential by understanding their aspirations, helping them to align their natural abilities, and providing them with actionable recommendations or work assignments to build capabilities. This may require a step outside the box of current job requirements; however, the motivation employees feel when genuinely supported in their goals manifests itself in high levels of commitment and performance as they grow.

Inter-departmental and cross-functional structured and unstructured mentorship programs are an effective initiative for people teams looking to empower, enable, and develop their individual contributors and mid-managers. Having a development path for individual contributors is critical in building a user-centered employee experience rooted in empathy for the individuals bringing their talent to the company.

Coaching, mentoring and sponsorship are great opportunities for employees in general; however, typically BIPOC get over mentored and under sponsored. They get coached and developed but still kept in this silo of cyclical learning without true visibility and opportunity for growth. Ensure your talent processes are designed with equity in mind by creating pathways for different folks across all dimensions of diversity with the ability to assess and react to individual needs.

It can be easy to want to keep talented team members in your immediate office, department, or program. Stretch assignments that provide visibility for your team members with other leaders within your organization is an important aspect of grooming the talented staff in your organization.

Providing future leaders with challenging responsibilities helps them develop critical skills and gain confidence. By delegating meaningful tasks, you not only empower them but also create a space for innovation and creativity. Encouraging participation in cross-functional teams enhances their collaboration skills and broadens their perspective, which is invaluable in today's interconnected world. Additionally, offering mentorship and feedback throughout this process is crucial. It helps them reflect on their experiences and learn from both successes and setbacks. By aligning these opportunities with their personal interests and goals, you foster a sense of ownership and motivation that can drive their growth even further.

Stretch assignments can be an exciting way for future leaders and curious learners to grow their talents and expand their skills; however, being intentional about those assignments is crucial! When delegating or assigning stretch assignments, ensure your teams are set up for success when support is needed. All too often we throw folks in the deep end because they want to swim, but we don't guide them in HOW to swim. Create a plan with a clear path to success with resources and supports available along the way including: Clarity in the ask and end goal Quick reply communication on questions Stakeholder recommendations Timeline of milestones Offer your leaders a safe space to learn through stretch assignments!

I would add: be sure within the organisation there is a culture of transparency and mistakes are considered part of the process to learn and improve, this is a typical in agile organisation but is absolutely far from traditional command and control organisation, therefore if you want to nurture your people, create a soil where they can grow.

Need to set up a 3 steps process 1.Set up a process to evaluate leadership characteristics of each of teammembers and decide who meet the high pot leader status 2.Once the high potential leaders from your Area are identified, get other Dept Leaders in the process to robust your selection by asking to provide feedback 3.Once you get the feedback from other Dept Leaders set up a training plan that includes cross training and coaching activities

A autonomia é uma parte crucial do desenvolvimento de um novo líder. Ao permitir que os líderes em ascensão tomem decisões por conta própria sempre que possível, estamos não apenas fortalecendo sua confiança e habilidades de liderança, mas também capacitando-os a crescer e prosperar em seus papéis. A autonomia não apenas permite que os líderes assumam a responsabilidade por suas decisões, mas também os motiva a buscar soluções criativas e inovadoras para os desafios que enfrentam. Portanto, ao fornecer oportunidades para que os novos líderes tomem decisões independentes, estamos investindo em seu crescimento e desenvolvimento como líderes eficazes e capazes de liderar com sucesso suas equipes no futuro.

Keep in mind that 70% of individual development comes from on-the-job experience, 20% from learning through interactions with others, and only 10% from classroom training. Key experiences that can accelerate leadership development include working on stretch assignments and projects outside one's expertise, turning around a failing business or product, navigating new cultures or uncharted segments, expanding technical capabilities, leading cross-functional teams on critical projects, experiencing and learning from failure, and building networks of supporters. Ensure these opportunities are intentionally assigned to future leaders.

Stretch projects are a great tool if used properly. Having a defined deviance within performance review rubrics for high-potential team members on stretch assignments is required for fair measurement of business-critical job duties and the performance-based compensation increases tied to official reviews.

Stretch assignments are absolutely essential to create future leaders. Even if such formal assignments are not available, providing them opportunities to influence others without authority (could be in a meeting, could be on a project etc.) is equally impactful. Speaking up can be a stretch assignment itself, and those with Drive will want to do it naturally - helping them shape how they speak up, is a great way to sharpen the leadership style.

Providing resources, such as access to training programs, workshops, or mentorship opportunities, can significantly enhance their skills. Encouraging curiosity and experimentation fosters an innovative mindset. When team members feel safe to take risks and learn from failures, they’re more likely to engage in creative problem-solving. Establishing regular feedback loops promotes continuous improvement, and reflection allows individuals to internalize their learning experiences. Recognizing and rewarding efforts not only motivates team members but also reinforces the value of development within your organization. Whether through formal recognition programs

Having a professional development plan is an important part of annual goal setting with each member of your team. Questions you can ask are: ✅ What type of continuing educational opportunities are of interest to you and why? ✅ How do you see yourself growing professionally in this organization? ✅ What types of positions do you want to learn more about?

To groom future leaders within your team, start by encouraging L &D. Begin by setting up mentorship or leadership programs. Plan workshops, online courses, or executive education tailored to their specific development needs. Assign them various projects from different sectors for hands-on experiences. Additionally, offer one-on-one coaching or mentoring sessions to address their individual needs and goals. Ensure regular meetings to review their progress and make any necessary adjustments to their development plans. This approach helps them build skills and gain experience, preparing them for future leadership roles.

Learning best occurs when there is psychological safety on the team, as well as among individual team members. With safety comes the ability for future leaders to be open to new experiences, open to being challenged, and open to pushing the boundaries to be innovative. Creating psychological safety is also a great lesson for those future leaders that can help shape their own style and sustained talent development.

While fostering a culture of learning and development is important, I believe it's equally crucial to give team members autonomy to seek their own learning opportunities. Instead of solely providing resources, leaders should empower individuals to take ownership of their growth. This autonomy can greatly enhance their motivation and engagement.

While leaders aren't always people-oriented (being extroverted or charismatic helps, but isn't required), they genuinely care about the well-being of others and work hard to help their team members perform at their best. Who invests in relationships with others? Who sees the value of others and wants everyone to reach their best? Who is quick to offer help and role model and encourage cooperative behavior at work?

Some of the questions to ask the team: 1. Are you happy in your current role? 2. What growth path do you see yourself taking on as an individual? How does that look like when it comes to skills and capacity in learning? 3. Are the resources (human and technical) offered internally meeting up to your expectations in solving for the above? If not, how can we get you there in terms of external resources? 4. How do we map that out to a reasonable timeline for you and how it can be a win win for all of us?

I advocate for 'Leadership Learning Tracks', a tailored development program focusing on strategic skills. Regular workshops and seminars form part of this track, aiding in continuous growth.

Grooming future leaders within your team by encouraging learning and development involves several steps: a) 3. Encourage Learning and Development: Foster a culture of continuous learning within your team. Provide opportunities for training and development that align with each individual's career goals and the needs of the organization. This could include workshops, seminars, online courses, or even further education. b) Provide Support and Feedback: Provide support and guidance as they navigate through their learning and development journey. Regularly check in on their progress and provide constructive feedback.

Empowering future leaders with autonomy and accountability is essential for their development. Giving them the freedom to make decisions and manage their work fosters confidence and encourages a sense of ownership. This autonomy allows them to explore creative solutions and approach challenges with a proactive mindset. Involving them in goal-setting helps instill a shared vision and ensures that their objectives align with team and organizational priorities. It also gives them a stake in the process, making them more committed to achieving those goals. Providing regular recognition and constructive feedback is crucial for their growth.

Giving future leaders the reins to make decisions, tackle problems their way, and own their work definitely helps them grow and develop. It encourages them to think critically, dig deeper, develop their leadership skills, and boost their confidence. Plus, holding them accountable for their choices and actions helps them learn from their mistakes and become better leaders.

In talent management, autonomy and accountability are intertwined assets. Autonomy, rooted in trust, accelerates decision-making and nurtures future leaders. Paired with accountability, it ensures high-quality, timely outcomes. This synergy fosters collaboration, open communication, creativity, and psychological safety. For leaders, embracing this balance nurtures a culture of innovation. Empowering individuals with autonomy while anchoring them in accountability creates resilient, strong leaders—vital for organizational success.

Sometimes, all it takes for someone to blossom into a leader is the right opportunity. In my experience, employees who were given opportunities to showcase their abilities and trusted with important tasks often showcased a great amount of growth and dedication.

Though autonomy and accountability are important, the future leaders should be also provided with the freedom to act and make the decisions on their own, as well as having the responsibility for those decisions.

Change the way you approach your work Becoming an effective leader is a skill you must practice daily. One of the ways to start the leadership process and become known as someone with strong and effective leadership behavior is to change the way you think. People who want to become leaders need to redefine their job duties. Consider what you can do to help your team, department, or organization in addition to your regular work. The goal is to be at the forefront of your work and find a way to collaborate meaningfully.

Encouraging them to take on increasing responsibilities fosters growth. Emphasizing emotional intelligence and adaptability prepares them to navigate the complexities of healthcare leadership. It's about investing in our team's development, ensuring a legacy of compassionate and capable leaders dedicated to our mission of improving patient care.

at this stage I found “delegation” would be helpful especially for key projects also let him attend meetings with management and empowering them to present the achievements of our department and then I could give personal feedback and coaching sessions

Future leaders with Drive, won't need to be held accountable. Rather, they would need real-time and direct feedback on their strengths & weaknesses along with visibility for senior leadership into their efforts.

One of my previous managers let me made decisions, even if they thought the decisions weren’t the best suited to the situations. They let me do it, so that I learn the accountability. So yes, allow them to make calls, even if you don’t agree with them (if it’s not critical of course). Let the leaders learn! And if the decision played out to be best suited - this will only boost their confidence.

Identify A players, delegate, rotate, empower, train, coach and mentor, assess and give/receive feedback periodically. Development is a long time process. On the job trainings are one of the best ways to pass knowledge and experience from one to another.

Investing in leadership development can be a game changer. Deloitte's “high leadership maturity” organizations are five times more likely to be highly effective at anticipating and responding to change. According to research by the Center for Creative Leadership, 86% of organizations with strategic leadership development programs were able to respond quickly to unpredictable business environments, compared to 52% of organizations with “less mature” programs.

Apart from assignments, role enhancement etc., a crucial process which may yield faster results and speed up learning is of letting the team member step in to your shoes for some time and giving a guided experience of delivery and stakeholder management at the level next. Openly communicating your own learning experiences, even some not successful ones, creates faith in you as a leader and prepares team to embrace potential challenges, turns adversity into opportunity and stay put in the company.

The process to identify successors should be transparent. Take the time to create a succession 9-box grid to explain to your leaders how readiness should be based on performance and potential.

They have a special feature that is difficult to define, but easily recognized. They make strong decisions in highly uncertain situations. They are adept at simplifying complex issues. They are mentally strong.

Grooming future leaders within our team begins with identifying high-potential individuals who embody our values. Whether a leader takes someone under their own wing to mentor them -- or they'd prefer a more generalized mentorship, leadership training, and stretch assignments to nurture their skills etc. is something that should be built into the company culture.

Form teams that combine employees of various age groups to work on projects. This fosters collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development of leadership skills as team members learn from each other's unique perspectives. By embracing intergenerational collaboration, your team can harness the collective wisdom and diversity of experiences to groom future leaders effectively. This approach not only prepares individuals for leadership roles but also strengthens team cohesion and innovation.

When grooming future leaders, it's essential to cultivate a culture of continuous feedback and growth. Encourage open communication and regular check-ins to provide support, guidance, and recognition. Create opportunities for leadership development, such as workshops, seminars, and mentoring programs. Additionally, lead by example by demonstrating strong leadership qualities and fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute.

A cool way way to do this is by encouraging peer mentoring. At Mint Source, we can get team members to help each other out by sharing their skills and knowledge. For example, a senior developer could show a junior marketer some project management tips, and the marketer could share the latest digital marketing trends. This way, everyone learns new things and feels more connected, helping employees naturally pick up leadership qualities as they support and inspire each other.