How can leadership development programming empower your organization & its people?

Did you know the World Health Organization declared “burnout” an international phenomenon in 2021? Covid-19 and the ways it impacted our daily lives – especially as it pertains to our working lives – created a worldwide sense of lacklustre and lack of motivation. This feeling of unfulfillment and lack of supportiveness has pervaded our offices (be they virtual or in person). While the pandemic seems to be somewhat winding down and our “normal” lives revving back up, we still have not quite got our workplace Feng shui back and, in many cases, this has resulted in losing great people to the siren of self-fulfilment.

What I mean by that is the collective burnout is still burning – the proof of which is in the mass exodus of disgruntled employees during the #greatresignation. So, how do we not only keep our employees, but keep them engaged, happy, productive and awesome? We invest in their development. Nurturing your team members’ leadership potential and supporting them to discover new (and nourish pre-established) gifts are proven ways to retain top quality talent. Additionally, it’s just simply the right thing to do.

Yes, I am willing to moralize professional development. Not only because that’s my gig and well, duh. But, also because I truly believe workplaces intent on hiring employees only to serve their current purpose and function – without a care for potential – are ineffective to say the least and toxic if we’re being upfront about it. As an organization, you will serve neither your best interests nor those of your employees if you are satisfied with allowing them to squander their talents and remain stagnant long past their enthusiasm expiration date.

Meaningful professional development is the zest of our working lives

Despite all our differences, there is one thing the vast majority of human beings derive joy from and that is learning new things and mastering novel skills. Creating an environment where your employees are continuously challenged (in positive and productive ways) will empower them to experience the joy of learning on a regular basis. This, in turn, will fill up their work bucket, encouraging their further endearment to your brand and business. What’s more is, the more skills they learn, the more effective they will be. So, rather than juggling turnover and needing to hire externally to fill gaps, why not fill them internally with the fruits of effective leadership development training?

There are a few ways you can do this that are cost-effective, just plain effective and conducive to the world’s growing preference for the hybrid working model. How I approach the invigoration of teams and their overarching organizations is to get everyone on the same page by offering the shared experience of leadership programming. This type of customizable content is delivered in ways that cater to people’s varying schedules, workloads and work environments.

Flexibility with more than a hint of collaboration, support & feel good achievement

My Expand the Leader Within is a leadership development program that can be engaged with via a self-guided online platform – filled to the brim with multimedia tools to align with every learner’s unique style of understanding. The flexibility this format offers is perfect for hybrid work environments, while the shared experiences of the program encourage a sense of congeniality amongst all members who share in the process. Plus, as a complement to the actual course, I am available to either lead your teams through the bulk of the programming OR to provide support after-the-fact to extend your leadership conversation and double down on the takeaways.

I created the Expand the Leader Within leadership development program as a potent antidote to employee burnout and I’ve been thrilled about the feedback I’ve received from organizational leaders about the ways it’s got people talking, excited about learning and pumped about value-based leadership. If you are looking not just to inspire your employees but to empower them to find inspiration within themselves and push beyond paper-pushing, let’s chat about how I can support your managerial team to make ripples that turn into waves of effectiveness, engagement and positive collaboration.

 Janic