Empowering Your Workforce: The Role of Leadership Training in Employee Engagement

The competitive business landscape in today’s world requires effective and successful leaders to steer organizations toward success and growth. Contrary to popular belief, leaders are made, not born. Constructive leadership training for employees paves the way for successful leaders responsible for the phenomenon growth of organizations. 

In this post, we will discuss the significance of leadership training, how companies strive to make it effective, and some real-life instances for further inspiration.

The significance of leadership training 

Leadership training for employees is a $366 billion industry. This indicates how organizations are prioritizing training and development programs across the globe. Below are more numbers that prove the importance of leadership training.

• 94% of employees will stay in a company if it invests in their career and development.
• Leadership training leads to higher engagement levels, teaching managers to lead their teams effectively. A  study by Gallup showed organizations with engaged employees make 21% more profit.
• Despite the big numbers on investment, about 69% of millennials feel a need for leadership development.
• 78% of business leaders consistently focus on engaging with their employees.
• 83% of businesses say developing leaders at all levels is essential. But only 5% have implemented it.

Key components of effective leadership training 

• Soft skills development - As a leader, individuals must nurture and master soft skills like communication, empathy, and adaptability. They must motivate their teams, resolve issues, and navigate different work environments.

• Mentoring - There is nothing like learning from someone who has been there. Experiences matter. That’s why leadership trainees must be paired with mentors to learn about real-world situations.

• Feedback mechanism - Constructive feedback will help aspiring leaders fine-tune their skills and work on areas where they lag. 

• Interactive workshops - Hands-on learning is fundamental to improving problem-solving and decision-making skills. 

• Continuous learning - It is essential to remember that it is an ongoing journey and doesn’t end with a training program. Leaders must keep learning new trends and technologies and upgrade their skills constantly to become a better version of themselves.

Along with these, it is critical to understand the contemporary trends in employee leadership training.

Make training mobile-friendly 

Traditional sessions must make way for new-age devices. Training sessions must adapt to mobile learning, as they provide on-the-go, flexible sessions much needed for Millennials to take over as future managers. 

Introduce modern communication techniques.

Practical leadership training should facilitate both one-to-one and group training sessions. It is also essential to introduce modern communication methods like remote coaching. It caters to today’s flexible workplaces, giving maximum freedom to their employees.

Increase engagement levels with gamification.

Games keep users highly engaged with their addictive nature, attractive design, and competitiveness. These characteristics can be used in learning leadership skills, keeping the learning process fun and engaging. For example, NTT Data devised the Ignite Leadership Game, where they showed various leadership scenarios to aspiring leaders in the company.  

Make way for blended training.

Blended training is necessary in learning and development programs to cater to the various needs of employees. It is best to follow the 70-20-10 rule. In this, 70% of learning comes from hands-on experiences, 20% from social interactions, and 10% from educational resources. Add webinars, podcasts, e-books, online self-paced courses, face-to-face coaching, workshops, and simulated scenarios based on this rule.

Integrate AR/ VR in leadership training.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are changing the face of soft skill training. AR and VR help simulate real-life scenarios so that users can experience them before facing them. It helps them think of various behavioral approaches in specific situations. Using these cutting-edge technologies saves money, elevates engagement levels, has shorter training times, and enhances performance.

Harness the power of AI and predictive analytics.

AI and predictive analysis platforms help in employee leadership training by providing data-driven insights. It can analyze the performance of employees and help them figure out their strengths and weaknesses, give them feedback, identify skill gaps, and suggest personalized learning paths. Amber’s AI-powered platform automates feedback collection, streamlines all conversations, and helps build a great workplace.

Behavioral nudge

Subtle cues or behavioral nudges can help individuals choose the right path to desired outcomes in their best interest. Nudge theory is a concept in behavioral sciences that can be an excellent way to provide a conducive environment in leadership training. 

Implementing leadership training 

Successful implementation of the leadership training program needs careful planning and execution. 

Identify organizational needs and skills gaps.

The first step is to find out where the organization needs to improve when it comes to leadership skills. Here is how to do that -

• Use tools and feedback to find out the strengths and weaknesses of your workforce in terms of leadership.
• Identify performance deficiencies. Talk to organization leaders to find out how to resolve them.

Create a plan

Next, create a plan that supports your organization’s needs. Plan it to meet your budget, timeframe, resources, and workforce. 

Assign tasks

Usually, the HR department plays a significant role in helping with learning and development programs. Leadership training for employees will also require managers and business leaders to play an active role as they mentor potential candidates.

Find potential leaders

That brings us to our next step - finding the potential leaders. One-to-one employee engagement surveys help to find suitable candidates. While it is crucial to identify leaders, retaining these talents is equally essential. AI-powered platforms like Amber with predictive analytics can find out “flight risks,” enabling timely intervention from HR to retain them.

Match the learning process with leadership levels.

Understand your employees' levels to determine what learning path will suit their needs. For example, an emerging leader will need a lot of coaching, guidance, and simulated experiences. A middle manager might need more hands-on experience, workshops, and volunteer projects.

Track and measure results

Determine the key performance indicators associated with leadership training. Track these KPIs and measure the ROI by finding enhanced leadership skills, employee engagement, and overall productivity and growth of the organization.

Measuring the impact

It is essential to measure the impact of leadership training on employee engagement to determine its effectiveness. Organizations can assess how much leadership training has influenced employee engagement by conducting surveys, feedback sessions, and performance evaluations. 

The impact of an excellent leadership training program will show when the workforce stays engaged and motivated to work towards the organizational goals. Employee engagement platforms like Amber can find this out with real-time data analysis.

Success stories 

Many success stories prove how leadership training paves the path for enhanced employee engagement and boosts company growth. But one that stands out is the story of General Electrics (GE). According to this study by SHRM, GE saw a massive rise in employee engagement - 87% when they implemented their leadership training. 

This study by SHRM reports Google’s leadership training impacted employee engagement so well that the company saw a 37% increase in their Great Manager Award recipients.

Airtel’s success story with Amber is another excellent example. Airtel has 20,000 employees, and connecting with each to gauge employee experience was challenging. The top priority was increasing employee engagement and retaining top talent. They succeeded with some help from Amber. They also concentrated on developing the leadership skills of their employees, and Amber played a role in it by finding the right talent for specific designations.

Conclusion

Leadership training for employees enhances employee skills and shows employees that their employer cares for them. A people-first culture helps organizations win by becoming the best places to work. They attract top talent and drive massive growth and success. 

Over 275+ CHROs have trusted Amber with their talent management and have seen incredible results. To build a world-class culture, try Amber’s employee engagement platform today.