Training employees to become better managers or executives is essential to maintaining a strong leadership pipeline. This type of development is necessary for a destination organization to have leadership gaps that result in decreased productivity, unintentional shifts in the company culture, and potentially lost profits. That is why addressing specific leadership topics throughout an employee’s development is crucial to improving communication skills and team dynamics.
The types of leadership topics that are most relevant will depend on factors like where an individual is on their development path and the foundation of skills that have already been created. The leaders at The Tourism Academy recommend these ideas as you develop your leadership development program.
1. Communication
Learning how to communicate effectively is critical for those early in their journey to becoming a leader. Understanding and implementing techniques for active listening is the first step in avoiding misunderstandings and overcoming roadblocks. As they continue to grow into leadership positions that require managing people, they can achieve a more significant impact by learning how to solicit and provide feedback to improve performance. Senior leaders benefit from learning how to create and deliver consistent messages promoting a unified culture.
Why do leaders find this topic engaging? Everybody faces challenges that can be resolved using strong communication skills. Leaders in training want to know how they can be better at communicating effectively to generate the results they expect from their teams.
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2. Execution
One of the many strengths of an individual and a great leader is the talent for developing brilliant strategies. However, this skill must be paired with the ability to execute to be effective. Learning to implement intelligent strategies through creating plans, tracking milestones, and leveraging innovation enables leaders to demonstrate that their systems are valid by delivering results.
Why do leaders find this topic engaging? Teaching leaders how to implement their strategies empowers them to develop new initiatives and gives them confidence in their ability to bring them to reality.
3. Change Management
One of the most challenging times for any organization is a transition period. Whether it is a change in leadership, a merger, or opening a new branch office, employees crave structure, knowledge, and security in their roles. With the right approach and change management best practices in place, leaders can drive productivity during transitional times, provide stability and vision, and adapt as roadblocks or challenges arise.
Why do leaders find this topic engaging? This type of training is always relevant but is particularly powerful before a planned transition. A straightforward approach allows executives to respond to change with confidence and poise.
4. Empowerment
All leaders must delegate tasks, both large and small. In addition to knowing which jobs are appropriate for the right people, a good leader also has the skills to engage individuals in the decision-making process so that they feel empowered to do whatever is required to produce the best results—leaders who know how to enable others to unleash the full potential of their teams.
Why do leaders find this topic engaging? Leaders who focus on optimizing results want to learn how to get the most from their teams. Although they might know how to maximize their productivity, they might not yet know how to encourage the same in others.
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5. Team Performance
By its very nature, a leadership role requires an individual to guide other people. Different personalities, work ethics, skill sets, and other factors contribute to a leader's many challenges when trying to improve team performance. Having the practical skills to overcome these hurdles enables a leader to help individuals grow and foster higher levels of collaboration.
Why do leaders find this topic engaging? Effectively leading teams is an ongoing process requiring a broad but refined skill set to handle the wide range of situations that will arise.
Development programs for emerging destination marketing leaders, managers, and executives can include many leadership topics. Select the ones that make the most sense for everyone, depending on their career level, challenges, and the journey you expect them to take as they grow as leaders.
Would you like to develop a leadership training program for your destination and team? Contact The Tourism Academy; we can help.
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