You’re overthinking it! Leader development doesn’t have to be the big “thing” it sounds like when you say it.
When I became a platoon leader, I struggled with what type of development program to implement. Should I create a formal development plan with events and steps?…or should I simply model effective leadership and hope the Soldiers learn by example? I engaged a mentor on the topic, who gave me priceless advice that I remember to this day. She said, “Just look for teachable moments.”
Too often, leaders adopt the belief that leader development has to be a lengthy program that takes hours or weeks to develop. The “unit leader development program” sounds like a monstrous effort that integrates technical training, tactical education, lofty discussions, resource products, and lots of time. Most of us shudder when we think about having to create one.
Here’s the unfortunate result…our flawed perception of leader development consequently prevents us from doing ANYTHING.
Consider these facts about leader development:
- It’s more important than anything else you’ll do
- You’ve already got the tools to develop your leaders
- THEY aren’t too busy to get involved
- YOU aren’t too busy to get involved
- They WANT you to teach them
- It can take as little as a few minutes, with almost no prep time
While you may have an overall plan for the path you’ll take your leaders on, you should simplify how you approach the engagements.
10 easy ways you can develop your leaders:
- Teach the Basics Again. There’s always value in reminding us how much we’ve forgotten.
- Tell War Stories. Your subordinates want to hear about your experiences and will apply your lessons to their own perspective.
- Discuss a Quote. Everyone has favorite quotes. Pick one and spend 10 minutes discussing it. Ask the team to share relevant examples from their own experiences.
- Assign Homework. Give your team a topic to review and present.
- Highlight History. Find valuable, perhaps inspirational events in history to share. (Medal of Honor citations are very effective in connecting the team with purpose and legacy.)
- Form Resource Scouts. Divvy up multiple websites for your team to watch daily for good content to share. (Consider SmallWarsJournal.com, WarCouncil.org, Foreign Affairs)
- Invite Guest Speakers. Ask subject matter experts or even higher leaders to speak to your team.
- Watch a Video. Find inspiring videos (TED, for example) or watch public speeches of your organization’s leaders (CEOs, Generals, etc.).
- Review an Article. Professional journals provide excellent resources for discussion. Examples: Military Review, Joint Forces Quarterly, Infantry Magazine, etc.
- Scenario-Driven Event. Assign your team a tactical problem to solve and present to the group. It’s as simple as grabbing a map and asking, “How would you seize this hill with an infantry platoon?”
The events don’t have to be stand-alone. Consider opening a meeting with a short professional discussion. Or if its a busy time, do a brown-bag lunch so you can continue other priorities. You can also integrate teaching moments into physical training or formation time.
Questions for Leaders
- Do you make leader development bigger than it needs to be?
- What methods do you use to connect with your team and draw them out of the day-to-day?
- What insight could you gain if you asked THEM how they want to be developed?