Five Examples of Leadership Training That Work

If you're looking to train your leaders, you might be researching examples of leadership training. To understand what truly makes a great leader, it's vital to look at how leadership styles and strategies differ and offer leadership training that addresses those needs. 

Five Examples of Great Leadership Training

So what are some good examples of leadership training that work? Leadership can't be measured in zeros and ones or referred to in black-and-white terms. Leadership success can be measured in the culture of an organization - is that company an employer of choice? Do people actively seek out opportunities to work there? Does the company's leadership increase employee engagement? Are the company's leaders able to communicate the corporate values in a way that creates positive results?

This kind of exceptional leadership requires plenty of experience. But it's vital to remember that you can train leaders. If you're looking for examples of leadership training, remember that it takes some out-of-the-box thinking to make your leadership training truly exceptional! Here are five examples of leadership training that work:

1. ATTENDING CONFERENCES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

   If you want great leadership, you'll need to invest in your leaders, including taking the time to provide access to conferences that offer skills training such as decision-making or delegation. This is both a time commitment and a financial one, and any company that wants to be an employer of choice looks to support this type of immersive leadership learning experience.

   Examples of leadership training that are conference-based include conference intensives, breakout sessions, and even general conference presentations in which your leaders have the chance to interact and develop strong interpersonal and relationship skills.
   

2. STRATEGIC EXPOSURE - MEETINGS, UNIVERSITY CLASSES & WORKSHOPS

   Your leaders must be publicly visible, but that's often a daunting responsibility when they have so on their plates already. Strategically seek out opportunities for your leaders to gain exposure. Help your leaders get used to the exposure required when spearheading an organization’s projects, both inside and outside the organization. 

   Abhijeet Narvekar, of The FerVID Group, says: “By doing this, the entire organization knows of them and they, in turn, interact with existing leaders and learn from them. This visibility drives them further to improve and make a difference for the company.”

   This example of leadership training, in the form of strategic exposure, could mean providing your leaders with training on public speaking and opportunities to practice it. This could include presenting to employees, board members, and other members of the leadership team.

3. TRAINING IN MICRO-DEVELOPMENT THROUGH COACHING & MENTORSHIP

   Micro-mentoring is an example of leadership training that many companies are now using to create opportunities for their leaders to be mentored by a more experienced member of the team. Those who are appointed or hired as micro-mentors provide guidance to newer leaders in a time-specific, objective-specific program.

   Mentors focus on key developments, using their expertise or specialty. Through these micro-mentorship initiatives, leading events, volunteer projects, and workshops become part of the company’s investment in individual growth and leadership facilitation.
   

4. INTERACTIVE E-LEARNING

   As teams - and their leaders - have become more and more geographically diverse, another example of leadership training is interactive eLearning, which has grown in popularity and effectiveness. Employers of choice know that providing consistent leadership programs across the organization makes their leadership team more cohesive. Look for eLearning that provides the soft skills leaders need to help support, motivate, improve, and motivate teams.

   This example of leadership training addresses a variety of topics and learning styles, offering video, interactive quizzes, downloadable, and the ability to "theme" the leadership training across the entire organization. Interactive eLearning can also provide your leaders with a more memorable way to improve their leadership skills, giving them a way to review what they've learned as their situation demands it.

   Related: How Much Does Leadership Training Cost?

5. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT TRAINING

   Becoming an employer of choice doesn't stop when your leaders leave the building for the day. If you want your leaders to get the experience needed to inspire others, there’s no better example of leadership training than organizing community projects. Provide leaders with an opportunity to volunteer their time. Many companies even offer paid time off to volunteer in the community.

   By volunteering with local organizations, your leaders gain hands-on experience in making wise decisions, networking, and answering immediate challenges. Having a united sense of a bigger purpose gives the entire organization a sense of achievement when the goal is reached. And who doesn’t want leaders who are committed, engaged, and fulfilled?

Redefining Leadership Excellence on Your Terms

In looking for the right leadership training opportunities for your organization, be sure you're defining what great leadership means within your culture. Unless you talk about what a successful leader looks like and communicate it, your leaders won’t be able to demonstrate the qualities your company values.

Make time to give them the floor and space to think about what today’s leaders need to be successful. Let them take pride in being part of the creative process, and give them the opportunity to demonstrate their own leadership abilities.