In January 2025, I started a new practice of leadership development within my team. There was something missing. Here is the 6-month look back.
I like to connect with my team to help develop capabilities and stay on top of how we are progressing as a team and company. This usually happened via a 1-hour weekly 1-2-1. The challenge was that we usually never got around to the development side of things unless we specifically requested the hour to be spent that way. There was simply too much to execute and stay on top of. Might sound familiar to many of you.
That is why I spoke to the team and asked for their input on leadership development and what would benefit them. I have to admit that my coaching journey with Singapore Management University helped me focus on the development side of things, but I needed to structure it correctly.
We created a 30-minute collaboration weekly meeting to discuss all our objectives and execution versus plan. On top of that, we include a 45-minute development conversation every two weeks that is purely focused on coaching/mentoring and supporting their goals as individual leaders.
This is the 6-month mark of starting this new process. So how is it going?
Here are the things I have noticed:
1️⃣ My team appreciates the space to focus on core development areas and on how they build their skills as leaders.
2️⃣ We are giving space to take a pause from execution mode and focus inwards on what makes us people and leaders.
3️⃣ Performance of team members? This is difficult, but the behaviors have visibly changed for several, and numbers are improving across teams.
4️⃣ Weekly collaboration calls are more focused and only take 30 minutes to get through the core updates and important items that need attention.
5️⃣ I feel I personally know my team a lot better than previously. There is a space created to learn and it is ok.
6️⃣ All my team members prefer a coaching approach to development (yes, I give them a choice) and they will not prompt me directly if they need mentoring over coaching. They are taking ownership of their own development. 🦾
Why is any of this important to reflect upon?
I have stumbled upon the comment that “senior leaders should know how to do certain things in their role.” They should already arrive as “developed” if they come from outside our organization. My view is that leaders should always focus on developing new leaders—as leaders in an organization, but also as people. What makes us better is when we feel the environment around us supports our goals and development. We are allowed to grow.
Here is a reflection exercise:
What do you do to support your team members’ growth?
How often do you connect with your direct reports and for what purpose?
What are the long term goals you are trying to help your team members with and how does learning and growth play a part in that?