Investing in leadership development training is a great way to make sure that both new and experienced leaders are prepared for whatever comes up. Those placed in leadership roles with no guidance or training can affect the productivity and attitudes of others on the team. Organizations that believe leadership training is unnecessary may believe one or more of these common myths about leadership development training.
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Leaders Are Born, Not Made
One of the top myths about leadership development training is that training leaders is unnecessary because leaders are born and not made. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Only a very small percentage of people in leadership roles are natural leaders. The rest learned from the school of hard knocks, trial and error as different situations came up or investing the time and effort to take advantage of leadership training.
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Introverts Can’t Be Good Leaders
Leadership positions tend to be given to extroverts, the people who are the loudest and most talkative because there’s a common misconception that introverts can’t be good leaders. There are many skills needed to be an effective leader, including the ability to listen closely to others. Leadership development training can help to sharpen the needed skills of both introverts and extroverts.
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Leadership Can’t be Taught
Many people believe that leadership development training doesn’t provide leaders with any skills that you won’t learn on the job, but this is a myth. An important quality in effective leaders is an awareness that there’s always more to learn. Leadership development training should include giving and receiving feedback and practicing skills with peers through role playing. Acquiring or improving leadership skills benefits both the individual and the organization.
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Money Spent on Leadership Development is Better Spent Elsewhere
In the interest of making a profit, organizations often look for places to cut costs. If the budget is tight, leadership development training may be on the chopping block. Before deciding to discontinue leadership training because of believing money spent on leadership development would be better spent elsewhere, consider what poor leadership may be costing your company. A big reason staff members resign is poor leadership. Ineffective leaders may trigger absenteeism, poor productivity and high staff turnover.
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Those in Management Roles Are the Only Ones Who Need Leadership Development Training
It’s true that people in management roles are expected to lead their teams, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only ones who need leadership development training. It’s a good idea to develop leadership skills in people who have leadership potential before they have assumed a management role. Providing leadership development training to those with potential helps them to be better prepared to take on a leadership role when one becomes available. Those who aren’t in leadership roles can still benefit from training in communication skills, time management and strategic thinking.
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Completing One Leadership Development Program is All That’s Needed
Companies that acknowledge that leadership development is beneficial may offer leadership development training to leaders or staff members as a one-time thing. The idea that one training program is all that’s needed is a myth. New challenges come up on a daily basis, and effective leadership requires continuous training and coaching.
There are many different ways to approach leadership development training. It can be as simple as asking a leader in your organization to mentor a potential leader. There are leadership development workshops both online and in-person that can be beneficial. Some are instructor-led while others are self-paced.
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