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Editor's Note: Leading the Way
May 01, 2008
May 2008
By Lorri Freifeld
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." —John Quincy Adams
Ask 10 people what makes a great leader, and you'll probably get 10 very different answers. I have a soft spot for the quote above, but clearly all sorts of things—both tangible and intangible—factor into the leadership equation. This topic occupied my mind for some time as I was formulating the criteria and reviewing the nominations for our Top Young Trainers award program. One key criteria that separated the winners was their demonstration of leadership skills (i.e., motivates/inspires direct reports and co-workers; acts as a mentor/coach, either formally or informally; thinks strategically). Read profiles of the Top Young Trainers age 40 and under after May 5th, plus 10 Young Trainers to Watch. Congratulations to all—an honor well-deserved.
Leadership development continues to be a critical component for the training industry and as such is the theme for this May issue of Training. Both spending and staff time will be boosted in 2008 for supervisory, leadership, and diversity training, according to an annual Internet survey of 2,556 senior HR and T&D executives by Novations Group, a global consulting organization based in Boston. Diversity/inclusion jumped seven points this year to No. 3, the largest increase in the survey.
Despite the steady growth of diversity and inclusion training, though, the benefit often is diminished by faulty delivery, the survey further found. When asked about D&I programs provided to their organization, nearly one-third of respondents cited shortcomings such as no reinforcement tools (29 percent) or metrics (24 percent). Other typical flaws were avoidance of development and advancement issues (22 percent) and little thought leadership (9 percent).
A fundamental problem is "there's no return in changing the attitudes or awareness of participants if management also doesn't make some of the right changes," says Novations Vice President Fred Smith. As such, middle managers have to become part of D&I planning, even if they do not participate in the actual training, Smith emphasizes."To minimize flaws, the chief diversity officer should build relationships with his or her middle management teams to gain buy-in and long-term involvement. Managers need to see a connection with strategic initiatives." See "The Path to Inclusion," where we examine how diversity leadership makes the connection between diversity strategy/ training and organizational strategy.
In another aspect of leadership development, more and more CEOs are focusing on corporate social responsibility, encouraging employees to use their professional expertise, corporate resources, and even work time to aid community projects. This has a double benefit: Besides doing a good deed, participation in public service programs can be an effective way to improve teambuilding, leadership development, and strategic thinking skills. (See "Charity Begins at Work").
Leaders also are championing corporate universities and getting personally involved in them. "If you see the CEO teaching the class and the company's strategy, that tells you something," says Susan Todd, president, Corporate University Xchange (CorpU). And when other leaders see their CEO teaching, they want to, too, and suddenly, there's a waiting list." Our special section on corporate universities, looks at tips and trends and business partnerships with academia, plus Senior Associate Editor Margery Weinstein offers an exclusive, first-person account of her day at McDonald's Hamburger University. Hope it provides some food for thought.
Lorri Freifeld
lorri.freifeld@nielsen.com
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