Leading the Future: Trends Shaping the 2024 Leadership Development Landscape

If we win the hearts and minds of employees, we’re going to have better business success.

MARY BARA
CEO, General Motors

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It's that time of the year again.  No, I'm not talking about the holidays.  I'm referring to strategic planning for the upcoming year.  You've likely begun this process.  What's on your agenda for leadership development? 

As you set goals and plan initiatives, the most effective leaders reevaluate their leaders' competencies and frameworks to ensure development efforts align with those goals and initiatives.

In a recent post, Rhabit Analytics identified ten leadership development trends for 2024.  Let's delve into five of them and explore three simple, cost-effective ways to meet these trends without sacrificing long-term impact and ROI.

TREND #1:  Growth Unleashed - Fostering a Growth Mindset
Most of us have heard of Carol Dweck.  In her book introducing the idea of a growth mindset, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, she said, "The fixed mindset limits achievement" and in describing the growth mindset, she notes, "...no matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment." 

Peter Senge, in his book, The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization, emphasizes that, "organizations that will truly excel in the future will be the organizations that discover how to tap people’s commitment and capacity to learn at all levels in an organization."  Simply put, organizations learn through individuals who learn.

If you're serious about leadership development trends, then this one is crucial to get right.  Canned programs that have people clicking through slides or attending boring SOP updates and software training isn't what leaders want in our fast-paced and challenging environments.  While some of this training might be necessary for functional purposes, it doesn't constitute leadership development as implied by this trend and it's not what leaders want.

Leadership development programs that foster a growth mindset recognize the value of continuous learning.   They challenge and advance skills and competencies, enriching leaders in meaningful ways.  These programs equip leaders with tools, strategies, and principles that extend far beyond a few months.  The best programs add value that sticks throughout their careers, possessing the power to change lives.

TREND #2:  Success On-Demand - Leadership in Bite-Sized Brilliance for Busy Leaders
Creating growth mindset programs that are truly developmental in today's demanding schedules necessitates breaking the learning into bite-sized, engaging chunks that can be delivered on-demand and consumed on the go.

TREND #3:  Metrics & ROI Matter - Unveiling Leadership Development Impact
Simultaneously, justifying ROI is essential.  You and your senior leadership need evidence-based leadership development that impacts key metrics such as employee engagement, productivity, innovation, revenue and financials, well-being, retention, and, most importantly, leadership effectiveness.  In addition to advancing, equipping, and enriching leaders, the best programs influence some or all of these key metrics.

TREND #4:  Fostering Cultures of Feedback & Continuous Improvement
As the Rhabit Analytics post says, "A culture of feedback is essential for fostering continuous improvement and leadership growth."  I call leadership feedback leadership gold. 

While most leaders are proficient in giving feedback, the real question is whether they can do it well.  Has a safe and open culture been established? The attention given to psychological safety is warranted as many teams and organizations lack it.  Gallup's report indicating that globally, 77% of employees are less than engaged is telling.  When only 23% of employees are fully engaged, something is amiss, and that something is often attributed to the manager.  Gallup also reports that seventy percent of team engagement is attributable to the manager.

While leaders may know how to give feedback (whether they do it well or not), very few know how to seek feedback.  Organizations must not only encourage leaders to seek and give constructive feedback, but they also need to teach them how to do it and how to create a safe and supportive environment.  Senior leaders must model these behaviors for effective personal and professional development to occur.

TREND #5:  Coaching - Supporting Learning Through Personalized Support
Coaching is an essential component of leadership development.  It  provides leaders with confidential, ongoing support, guidance, and feedback that is goal and results-oriented.  Most leadership development programs overlook the value of professional coaching.

A Final Analysis
In conclusion, our Purpose-Driven Leadership Program, administration of the LPI360, and coaching services uniquely align with these trends.

By fostering a growth mindset, delivering on-demand brilliance, unveiling tangible metrics, fostering feedback cultures, and supporting personalized learning through coaching, we provide a comprehensive solution that not only meets 2024's leadership development trends but propels your organization into a future of success.

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Have an amazing journey today!

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Alan Mikolaj is a coach and leadership development consultant with 15+ years of experience.  He is passionate about helping leaders transform their leadership, their teams, and their organizations.  Impactful, professional approach driven by a passion for meaning and purpose, a growth mindset, and a commitment to excellence and service in order to drive change and results.
Alan maintains the ethics and standards of behavior established by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), including the standards regarding confidentiality.  You can learn more about them on the ICF website.
Transformational change starts with a conversation!
Alan is on a mission to partner with like-minded leaders who want to make a positive difference in the world.
Schedule your free, one-hour session by clicking here: Discovery Conversation with Alan
Or call or email me: Contact Page

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