How leadership training helps individuals and teams

Written by: Martin Mainey

The most effective leaders motivate and inspire. They lead by example and provide direction to their team. They also nurture the strengths and talents of those in their team and build a team that is committed to achieving common goals.

To do all this, competent leaders must be passionate and confident and demonstrate integrity in their decision-making, their behaviour, and their interactions with others. They also need to be able to respond to challenges.

But where do they learn to do this? How do leaders develop their leadership skills?

Developing leadership skills

Whether or not leadership can be taught, managers at every level can hone their abilities by improving their personal leadership skills via formal training programs.

Today, leadership training focuses on finding new and innovative ways of developing and managing people, which benefits leaders in their professional and personal lives.

What are the benefits of leadership training?

The most successful leaders have a clear idea of where they want to go and how to get there, and they know how to communicate their vision to their team.

The ability to communicate clearly and concisely is a crucial leadership skill, which can be taught, and is one of the greatest benefits of formal leadership training. So, what are the other benefits?

Become proficient at negotiation, influence, and conflict management: tied closely to improving communication skills, confidence in negotiation is vital to success as a leader. You increase the odds of a positive outcome if you are confident in your negotiation and influencing skills. Also, being an effective listener and confident negotiator will earn you the respect of your team.
Improve your decision-making skills: effective leaders are emotionally intelligent and use that to make informed decisions. While emotional intelligence can be gained and improved at any point in life, leadership training can provide greater insight into self-awareness, the knowledge of what we feel and why we feel that way.
Build cohesive and effective teams: leadership training programs benefit team members just as much as the leader. A leader who has greater clarity and direction enables those traits to trickle down to the members of their team. They can more effectively connect with people and give constructive feedback; they are also more willing to receive critical feedback on their leadership style.
Develop your leadership style: leadership is not about providing a scripted response to a given situation. It’s about authentically using your natural inherent strengths to inspire and motivate others. Leadership training can help you to define and develop your leadership style.
Develop the capabilities to increase your team’s productivity: the right leadership style practiced consistently can increase the productivity of your team. Once you have communicated your vision and your team feels connected to that vision, they are more likely to stay focused and increase their productivity in pursuit of common goals.
Learn new skills: formal leadership training widens your thinking and can help to solve problems in new and innovative ways. Either through coursework or peer-to-peer learning, there is always something to learn when it comes to leadership. Such continued learning adds value to you and your team.
Improve your career prospects: even if you’re not looking to move on from your position just yet, developing your leadership skills is an investment in your career. Leadership training gives you a thorough overview of the must-have qualities of an effective leader and equips you with the practical skills to put into practice what you learn. Keep this in mind when you’re interviewing for your next role.

Prepare yourself for leadership success

Ultimately, the desired outcome of any leadership training program is for participants to feel prepared. They need to feel equipped to communicate effectively, make (sometimes difficult) decisions and know how to empower others.

They must understand their leadership style and know how they can use that to inspire and motivate their team members. That’s why leadership training programs can serve as a valuable starting point or continuation in your development as a leader.

How LH can help you on your leadership journey

We recently wrote about how leadership training starts with a desire to learn. Great leaders are curious and are willing to learn the ‘craft’ of leadership.

At LH, we work with leaders at all levels who are passionate about learning, and who want to be personally effective in their leadership roles.

Whether you are on a journey of personal leadership, developing your skills as an emerging leader, or already lead your team, we can accommodate your needs and support you.

Interested? Find out more about our leadership training on demand.