BrazilMai Alamro on Elm’s leadership development program and approach
In today’s rapidly evolving environment, leadership in all facets of its meaning is more important than ever. Elm’s leadership development offering helps nurture effective leadership at both a personal and professional level – Leadership & Development practice leader Mai Alamro walks through the firm’s approach and how it enables success.
To prepare individuals for their role as an effective leader, at Elm, we offer a robust leadership development program that helps them develop the skills, knowledge, and mindset required to fulfil the role. The program consists of 5 main phases:
Phase 1: Map out a Big-Picture Framework
The first phase focuses on framing the leadership development journey into an integrative framework. The framework clearly defines the objectives and tangible results of the journey for every participant, ensuring that leaders develop their skills and expertise in a manner that is fully aligned to the goals of their organization.
The mapping phase also breaks down the development journey into concrete goals, actions needed to deliver on those objectives, and what benefits both individuals and teams can expect to gain from the journey.
Phase 2: Tools for Skills Assessment
In the second phase, leadership skills are assessed across a range of relevant categories, tailored to their role and development path. Assessments can take place through a number of forms, including online surveys, simulations, role plays, group tasks, and more. The amalgamation of these test results (which may differ per participant/group) provides an overall great view on the capabilities of a leader.
Broadly speaking, a leadership skills assessment identifies strengths and areas for growth in key competencies, such as communication, decision-making, emotional intelligence, and team management. It provides insights into the style, effectiveness, and potential of leaders, offering actionable feedback for personal development and enhanced leadership impact.
Phase 3: Feedback and Development Plan
With the insights gathered from the assessments, key is to provide the leaders with comprehensive feedback, so that they gain the insights on what is needed, and can in turn kickstart their learning cycle. In this phase, feedback is provided at a number of levels, organization-wide, at a team level, and at an individual level.
On an individual level, a personal development plan for leaders outlines goals, skills, and actions needed to enhance leadership abilities. It includes setting clear objectives, identifying areas for improvement, and mapping out specific steps, resources, and timelines for achieving leadership growth and career advancement.
An important priority in this phase is to collaborate with the executive team to develop custom development plans based on what they noticed in their own assessments.
Phase 4: Running A Leadership Development Program
With all necessary insights gathered and development plans in place, the actual Leadership Development program can kick off. In this phase, it is key to ensure that there is a robust process and governance for running the program, and that the delivery to leaders is seamless.
At Elm, our Leadership Development programs combine academic insights (we partner with leading global universities) with practical application, meaning that all leaders that partake in our programs benefit from the cutting-edge research and best practices.
Key success factors for a Leadership Development Program include clear alignment with organizational goals, strong executive support, a well-defined curriculum targeting relevant skills, experiential learning opportunities, continuous feedback, and measurable outcomes. Effective programs also ensure sustained follow-up to reinforce learning and encourage long-term growth. At Elm, we closely monitor and safeguard these factors.
Phase 5: Interactive coaching and mentoring
The final phase of our Leadership Development approach revolves around mentoring and coaching, in order to ensure that learning behaviour is not just safeguarded, but also tailored to ensure each participant meets their personal and professional goals.
Mentoring and coaching are essential for leadership development as they provide personalized guidance, promote self-awareness, and enhance critical skills. Through regular feedback and support, leaders gain insights, refine decision-making abilities, and build confidence, leading to improved performance, adaptability, and sustained growth in their leadership roles.
