Much has been written on the topic of leadership development. The need for leadership has been proven time and time again – from government institutions to businesses locally and abroad, to churches, both established and newly planted. As such, researchers continue to work to refine the literature available on the subject. Companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to create leadership development programs. And, employees spend a considerable amount of time and energy investing in self-help or do-it-yourself books, assessments and professional development courses.
The challenge with each of the options listed above is that they tend to lack an element that is critical to the very foundation of leadership development – relationship building.
A quick Google search will provide several dozen definitions of leadership development. However, at its core, it primarily focuses on the expansion of a person’s capacity and ability to understand and handle the many necessary components of leadership. It requires a certain level of know-how, knowledge, and expertise regarding leadership roles and processes, including but not limited to setting organizational direction, aligning others and showing real commitment to a cause. The spectrum of leadership development is broad and should be viewed as an ongoing process.
The level of growth necessary to see sustainable results is best achieved by working with a trusted partner and advisor who can serve as both mentor and coach.
- Mentoring. Mentorship has long been guarded as vital to personal and professional growth and an effective leadership development method. Typically defined as a relationship between a senior, seasoned professional, and a less experienced, emerging one, it allows new professionals to glean significant insight from someone who already knows the ropes and desires to sow into others.
The mentor-mentee relationship is profoundly personal and intimate. Both participants must be willing to be vulnerable if empowerment is to occur. Mentors should provide regular feedback as well as continually challenge the mentee. Interestingly, these actions mirror those of a role model as researchers suggest there is a correlation between the two with most mentors often serving in the unofficial role. Mentors develop mentees into leaders by encouraging them to also engage in leadership activity. As the saying goes, “we can all learn from someone”. It is the job of the mentor to make space for the wisdom that the mentee possesses and empower them to share it with others.
- Coaching. Similarly, coaching is another useful leadership development tool that requires a foundation built on a personal relationship. It is most powerful when it serves to amplify other learning experiences. The crux of coaching is to improve leader effectiveness. Still, it requires a significant relationship between the coach and the client to achieve this goal, as it allows the coach to question their perspective and encourage reflection. Rapport, collaboration and commitment are critical elements of the client-coach relationship. Coaches seek to create a learning environment, advocate for self-awareness and consistently model the competencies they expect of the client.
The benefits of leadership development through mentoring and coaching in business are clear. First, it helps to establish a ready pipeline of leadership talent. Organizations stand to reap significant benefits from a pool of available leaders as it minimizes the amount of missed opportunity in business dealings. Second, these relationship-based development methods create a culture of continued learning. Lastly, employees that develop and maintain positive mentoring and coaching relationships with organizational leaders tend to see significant job satisfaction, which has been expressly linked to decreased turnover and better operating performance.
It is indeed true that leadership development training can yield positive results; however, lived experiences tend to offer more significant learning opportunities. In this way, mentoring and coaching offer a more in-depth glimpse into others’ lives and provide stable leadership growth.
