Become a Leadership “Teacher”

Image - leadership teacherCollege professors know that one of the best ways to deepen your understanding of a certain topic is to teach it to others. As a senior executive, you can put that insight to good use by training, coaching and mentoring your team in leadership skills. Not only will you be giving them an opportunity to grow and progress in their careers—and support your own succession plan—you’ll also get an opportunity to examine your own skill set.

If you want to become a leadership “teacher,”” a good first step is to find the right resources and create a structure for your efforts. Many Fortune 500 companies have formal leadership development programs that can be applied to your situation. Alternative sources include recent business books on leadership skills and attitudes, particularly if you can find an author familiar with your industry. You can also gain important insights from reading the biographies of successful executives like Steve Jobs and Jack Welch.

Since the first step in a leadership development program is usually some form of self-assessment, you may want to begin by looking at yourself: where do you excel and where do you need to develop. Again, this is one of the big benefits of becoming a teacher, so don’t neglect this step. In fact, you may want to draw on your own career experiences for examples that illustrate your points.

Next, you can start working with your subordinates in a formal or semiformal learning setting, such as one-on-one coaching or “lunch and learn” sessions with a small group. You could also arrange to bring in a guest speaker or consultant to lead a classroom session or two devoted to specific leadership skills, such as motivating others or providing constructive feedback.

As with any teaching and learning program, it’s a good idea to have a “before and after” comparison to determine the impact of your teaching. Your subordinates could write a brief statement about how they see their current leadership skills or complete a more formal “baseline” assessment. After the coaching or teaching, you can have them update their essays or complete a new assessment. In any case, you’ll have gained new insights into your own teaching abilities, while contributing to the strength of your organization.


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