7 Strategies for Developing Executive Leadership

Simply put, a well-developed executive team has the influence to make or break an organization. Just as you develop your entry-level teams, it is as important, if not more, to commit to developing executive leadership. As markets and industries change, having a leadership team that is agile and capable of responding to these challenges is fundamental to your success.

Continue reading to learn seven strategies you should incorporate into your organization as you look for ways to develop your leadership teams.

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1. Assess Your Workplace Culture

The first way to develop your leadership team is by taking an in-depth look at your organizational culture. Because this culture is a reflection of your beliefs, practices, and vision, it can be instrumental in identifying areas of weakness in your leadership teams. Ask your employees questions that allow you to understand their views about your values, current processes, and overall engagement within their role.

Once you have gathered this information, identify the changes you would like to make and take action, using your high-potential employees to implement them. For some, this opportunity will be exactly what they need to practice their leadership skills and continue to develop as key players on your team.

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2. Identify Top Leadership Challenges

By taking a look at the current state of this culture through the eyes of your employees, you can uncover areas where leaders can step up and start to create a future culture that is supported by every member of the organization. But, don't just focus on your organizational culture. Take the time to determine what other challenges your leadership teams may face. Often, these challenges can be a result of outdated tools, insufficient budgets, or a lack of knowledge about the topic. Based on this evaluation, you can begin to allocate your resources to solve these problems and strengthen your teams across all areas.

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3. Invest in Executive Assessments

One of the most valuable tools you should incorporate into your business development initiatives is executive assessments. These in-depth analyses and tests offer meaningful and quantitative results that will highlight the areas that your leadership teams should be working on. The insights will help you identify specific leadership styles, decision-making processes, how collaborative they are, and other behavioral tendencies that impact performance and success.  By using an outside assessment process, you eliminate personal biases, improve visibility into your employee's abilities, and focus solely on the results and how to further develop as leaders.

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4. Focus on Core Objectives

To make the best use of your investment in executive assessments, begin by focusing on a set of core objectives. Sit down with your executives and set clear goals that outline their growth over a set period of time. This targeted list of attainable goals and objectives will keep your leaders both driven and accountable as they continue to sharpen their skills and apply them to make an impact in your organization.

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5. Provide Regular Coaching and Mentoring Opportunities

Another way to use the information gathered from the executive assessments is by offering personalized coaching for each member of your leadership team. Coaching later on in an executive's career can be an effective way to encourage collaboration and growth across all levels of your organization. These coaching and mentoring sessions can rekindle a passion for their career and open their eyes to new approaches to operate in their sector, lead and manage their teams, and continue to progress within their current role.

By establishing a mentor program, you can offer executive mentoring to the higher-level leadership while simultaneously having them mentor less-experienced employees. Both sides are important to their professional growth and offer new ways to apply their experience to develop the company from within.

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6. Foster Engagement Across All Levels of the Organization

While coaching and mentoring are fantastic ways to foster engagement in your business, you should implement other engagement strategies to ensure your employees remain involved in their professional growth. One way to do this is by working on developing a trusting relationship with your employees. The more your employees trust their leadership teams, the more likely they will be to participate in company-sponsored events, workshops, and conferences.

Also, continue to develop your company culture from the top, as it promotes employee engagement throughout your organization. As the culture improves, your employees will be more willing to participate on their own accord, creating momentum that propels your business closer to its goals.

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7. Improve Intrinsic Motivation

To keep individuals across your business committed to your mission and their professional growth, intrinsic motivation will play a critical role in your success. To achieve this, ask your employees what motivates them and find ways to reward their accomplishments with incentives that they have shared as key motivators. Over time, this will lead to enhanced performance and positively impact your success in the industry.  

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Develop Your Leadership Team With Kinsley Sarn

Developing executive leadership often requires partnering with an experienced firm that has the right skills to help them unlock their potential. As former executives ourselves, we know firsthand the complex challenges leaders face daily. This ability to understand through experience allows us to confidently help you transform your organization, starting from the top.

Our expertise in identifying top candidates during the executive search process has helped us create and offer executive assessment services for companies across industries. Using our data-driven assessment process, we identify both the strengths and weaknesses of the executive. These assessments include qualitative 360-degree feedback, a psychometric profile, a competency assessment, and in-depth career and performance history evaluation interviews. With this robust analysis, we gain an understanding of their needs, allowing us to strategically develop these areas and help them reach their full potential.

To learn more about how to partner with Kinsley Sarn for executive assessment services, simply click on the button below to discuss your particular needs with one of our team members.