The Importance Of A Leadership Development Plan

A leadership development plan is something that every organization needs to ensure its continued success. The plan would need to encompass multiple steps in order to cover every aspect needed in the plan. There are seven steps that need to be covered or considered when establishing the plan. These are 1) determining the best leadership style for the organization 2) identifying the current and future key leaders within the organization 3) identifying any and all leadership gaps 4) developing succession plans as people leave the organization or move up the ladder 5) developing goals for future leaders 6) developing a plan to get future leaders where they need to be in the organization 7) developing a retention plan for all leaders inside the organization.

Following the steps only goes so far and defining the elements of the plan is essential for success as well. These elements would include: 1) recruitment to find talent 2) assessments to evaluate how the leadership is doing in their jobs 3) performance management to make changes as necessary to the plan 4) succession planning to eliminate gaps 5) career planning to help develop the leader for their next position 6) development of leaders to fill the gaps.

However, if an organization can incorporate these elements into the plan and their organization, the employees would know they are valued and want to stick with the plan. Once they see that they are not just a number but a valued member of the team, they will become motivated to work harder and put their best foot forward to ensure the organizations success. The elements are a key part of making them feel wanted and needed, which creates a positive work environment. People want to work for this type of organization. Therefore, it is vital to have buy-in to the plan after it is