Why Leadership Training Is So Important?

In more than three decades, I have discovered that one of the greatest reasons for downturns and downfalls of organizations is their inability to effectively train their leadership. Many of these organizations actually have programs that they refer to as leadership training, while others do not.

Far too often, organizations call their informational or orientation programs leadership training. Since many leaders, as well as many paid staffs are improperly, or not fully trained, leadership training is often difficult, and even the importance of the concept is often overlooked. Whether it is because of the egos of some of the individuals who ascend to leadership, yet possess few of the important leadership skills, or because of "cluelessness," those organizations that do not address leadership development head on, often fail to make necessary evolutionary changes.

Organizations and their popularity are often cyclical in nature. Reasons such as economics are certainly one reason, yet, even when economies are down, some organizations fare far better than others. Those organizations whose leaders exhibit a vision for the future, understand planning, creating an action plan, and understand how to make a decision in an organized manner, are the most successful. I have observed countless organizations that spend far too much time on unimportant and trivial issues, while often either ignoring or procrastinating when it comes to issues related to what should be understood as the "big picture."

Leadership training must begin at the earliest stage of identifying potential future leaders, qualifying them, and nurturing them. It must be an ongoing process that continues through lower tier leadership positions, then to intermediate, and then continues through elite leadership positions. All leaders need constant leadership refreshing, and need to learn how to self- evaluate.