Most of us have had at least one moment in our lives where we have thought, “I could lead people; I have those skills,” but often the reality of it is daunting. Leadership is by no means glamorous. It is work that requires patience, the ability to inspire others, do the uncomfortable work needed to solve problems, and call people on the carpet, as well as taking responsibility for any mistakes your team makes. Unfortunately, the common assumption is that leaders are born. That they somehow appear out of the ground a full-fledged leader, by some kind of gift granted to you when you were born, or perhaps some secret magic.
The truth is, leaders are made.
Some are self-made, inherently understanding that reaching their goals requires hard work, discipline, and learning. That doesn’t mean they had the skills from day one, only that they realized early on that they needed to take specific steps to get there. Unfortunately, insight like that doesn’t happen every day. It is more common to have someone else see what you are capable of and inspire you to reach further. The problem with this is that we assume that one has to exude certain qualities for a person to be ‘noticed’ as having the skills capable of being ‘groomed’, for lack of a better word, for leadership.
Our approach to leadership these days is a little off. The truth is, you need a manager or leader to see the potential for leadership in everybody on their team, then give them the training they need to develop and hone those skills. After that, anyone can become a leader with the right manager, training, and a desire to learn.
So, let’s assume you are a manager or leader who wants to inspire your team to become leaders. You realize that it isn’t as simple as seeing their natural abilities and assuming they are already capable of leadership. Instead, you need to support them to become the leaders they are capable of being by providing them with the skills they need. Training leaders seems like an unusual concept. But in actuality, it is no different than training managers or salespeople; it’s about teaching them the leadership skills they need to succeed.
Now, there are lots of books you can read to help you get there.
But these can offer some rather nebulous ideas of what you should or shouldn’t do. Also, they aren’t very personal to you, your skills, and how you handle things. Let’s face it, we are all different; we do things differently, we communicate differently, and we all have our own ways to lead. That’s where a training program like Everything DiSC Work of Leaders can be beneficial. It’s a personalized assessment with adaptive testing to help you really hone in on your leadership style. You get a thorough understanding of where you excel and where you need to focus your attention.
This program also gives you a model to follow to help guide you in pitching your ideas and projects to your teams. Whether it is your 1st pitch or your 151st pitch, this model supports you and your goals, as well as helps you be the leader your team needs. The best part is, it’s centered around this idea that anyone can be a leader, no matter their style. You can be at the extreme end of introvert and be a great leader. You can be all the things that in today’s world we assume you should not be to be a successful leader and still succeed in building strong leadership skills.
Workplace training isn’t just about fixing things that are broken but about growth, improvement, and being your best self.
Investing in training for your team to help them become better leaders sends a strong message that you believe in what they are capable of. That you value them, that their work matters, and that you believe they could move into a leadership role if given the right tools. At the end of the day, great and successful organizations see the value in training and in their employees. They know that anyone can lead successfully with the proper training.
About DiSC Profile
We believe in the important role that training and development play in organizational change, culture, productivity, retention, and growth. DiSC is an exceptional assessment tool that will enhance training programs and provide employers with a robust understanding of their people. DiSC Profile International is partnered with Wiley (formerly Inscape Publishing and Carlson Learning Company) and provides the Everything DiSC, DiSC Classic, and Five Behaviors assessment tools. Year over year, we have been awarded as one of Wiley’s top Diamond partners.
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