Are you looking for a leadership development program in Toronto that can help your team unleash their leadership potential? Learn more in this guide.
Finding the perfect leadership development program can be challenging. With countless programs and many struggling professionals looking forward to developing leadership skills, it’s easy to fall into one without any real-world application or strategies needed to succeed.
Without the right leadership program, employees can hit a career plateau, miss opportunities for career growth, and fail to inspire people. Being in a bad program will waste time and hinder employees from growing as leaders and professionals.
The good thing is there are many leadership development programs that can turn your team into well-rounded leaders. Let this guide teach you how to pick the best one in Toronto.
Key Takeaways:
- Leadership development programs are comprehensive sessions designed to teach teams to become good leaders.
- In finding the right leadership development program in Toronto, you must consider several factors, such as the program’s content structure and flexibility.
- Before settling on a Toronto leadership development program, you must gauge the instructor’s experience through their credentials and certifications.
Experience activities that bring the team closer together!
What’s a Leadership Program?
A leadership development program is a structured training that helps professionals nurture their leadership skills and effectively manage their teams. It comes in different forms, such as:
- Workshops and Training Sessions: Industry experts usually provide hands-on learning experiences to aspiring leaders.
- Mentorship and Coaching: This involves providing personalized guidance to help leaders face challenges.
- Simulations and Case Studies: Dealing with real-world applications for problem-solving.
- Networking: You’ll be able to work with peers and business professionals.
Leadership programs vary in format, from short-term workshops to multi-month leadership development series.
Why Join a Leadership Development Program?
Statistics show that 25% of participants reported increased learning after a leadership development program. There’s also a 28% increase in leadership behaviours and an 8% boost in subordinate performance.
Whether you’re an aspiring leader, business owner, manager, or an executive who wants to polish management skills or step into being a leader, these are the reasons why you should be in a leadership development program:
1. Learn to be a Good Leader
A leadership development program will teach teams how to lead and focus on these abilities:
- Decision-Making and Problem-Solving: Learn how to manage crises and strategize to solve each one.
- Executive Presence and Confidence: Master the ability to lead with authority.
Effective Communication: Gain the communication skills to deal with a team, present ideas well, and manage workplace conflicts.
2. Gain Industry-Specific Knowledge
Many of these programs pander to specific industries, such as:
- Project Management: Learn how to implement strategies when leading complex initiatives.
- Labour Relations: Understand how to navigate workforce challenges and other employment matters.
Team Building and Collaboration: Strengthen team dynamics and foster commitment.
3. Identify and Overcome Leadership Blind Spots
Blind spots in leadership are common, and even experienced leaders have them. Some of the common ones are:
Lack of Self-Awareness
Many leaders don’t know how their actions, words, or decisions affect others. They can prevent the team’s growth by not looking inward and ignoring personal biases and emotional triggers. Regular feedback and self-assessments should be provided so leaders can gain clarity.
Resistance to Change
Some leaders become too comfortable or complacent with their present strategies and forget to adapt to new trends. It can make the whole team less competitive as markets constantly evolve. Learning and innovation can help leaders stay ahead of the competition.
Micromanagement
Creativity gets stifled when leaders over-control tasks and don’t trust employees to do their jobs. This limits growth and demotivates the entire team. Leaders should be the first to delegate tasks and empower their teams through accountability.
Ignoring Workplace Culture
Leaders who are too invested in performance metrics may not see toxic workplace dynamics and low morale. They should conduct regular check-ins and communicate openly to monitor their team’s well-being and make employees feel important.
Poor Listening Skills
Many leaders may miss key insights from their team when they dismiss concerns or interrupt while someone is talking. Leaders should ask open-ended questions and show empathy to their team members to improve their relationship with them and decide better for their welfare.
Overconfidence in Decision-Making
Some leaders think their experience makes them faultless, leading to biased or hasty decisions. To prevent costly mistakes, they should consider diverse perspectives and data-driven insights.
Neglecting Personal Growth
Leaders risk stagnating their careers when they put too much effort into operational tasks instead of their own development. There should be a balance between the two by undergoing training, mentorship, and networking to ensure they stay informed.
Failing to Recognize and Develop Talent
A leader should provide every team member with development opportunities. Their success usually depends on their team’s growth, and failing to develop the entire team can lead to turnover.
With a leadership program, teams can recognize their weaknesses in decision-making, enhance their emotional intelligence, and improve their delegation and time management skills.
Discover how to make a stronger bond with your team.
Tips for Choosing a Leadership Development Program
1. Outline Leadership Goals
Define what you want to achieve before you choose a program. Various programs in Toronto teach many aspects of leadership, so list down which team skills you want to improve. Clearly outlining your goals can help you choose a program that matches the career path you want your employees to take.
2. Evaluate the Program
As you research, you’ll most likely find programs offering a one-size-fits-all approach. These may fail to address specific business challenges as they’re so broad. Getting into a program without a structured learning environment won’t help apply new skills in real situations.
Look for a program that offers expert-led workshops, training sessions, and mentorship. Consider the delivery methods of the sessions, such as virtual, in-person, or hybrid.
3. Assess the Expertise of Instructors
Getting lessons from an unqualified instructor is a pure waste of time. It’d be hard to apply what the team learned from the program to their work.
That’s why assessing the instructor’s expertise and competence is important before getting into a leadership development program. Here’s how you can do it:
- Check if the instructors have credentials in business, psychology, leadership, or other related fields. Certifications in leadership training or coaching are also worth considering.
- Check their industry experience, especially leadership roles in organizations. A well-rounded instructor has a mix of academic, corporate, and entrepreneurial experience.
- Look for evidence that the instructor has spoken at conferences and industry events.
- Read online testimonials, reviews, case studies, feedback from past students, LinkedIn recommendations, and any Toronto-based organization that has worked with the instructor to verify their performance.
Experiential learning through workshops allows participants to engage directly with real-world scenarios, enhancing understanding by applying theory in practice. This hands-on approach fosters deeper retention and skill development compared to passive, theoretical learning, as it encourages active problem-solving and personal reflection.
4. Consider Flexibility and Accessibility
Enrolling in a program that doesn’t fit into the team’s schedule can disrupt their work and personal commitments. They might not be able to learn well from every lesson.
When looking for programs, consider if they have weekend or evening sessions that can accommodate the team’s schedule. Make sure the program is accessible for those who learn by:
- Visuals: Charts, video presentations, and infographics.
- Auditory: Lectures, discussions, and podcasts.
- Kinesthetics: Simulations, role-playing, and hands-on exercises.
- Reading/Writing: Research papers and self-reflection journals.
5. Look for Industry-Relevant Content
Not all leadership programs are created equal. Look for one tailored to the team’s leadership level, whether it’s a vice president or a beginner in the leadership field. Also consider getting into programs to help them become more comfortable with public speaking and improve their presence.
6. Network and Collaborate
Your chosen program should allow your team to work, build relationships, and learn from other peers. Being exposed to industry experts can help them get valuable insights and adapt the best practices in the industry. You can also connect with professionals who share the same goals with you.
7. Consider Long-Term Growth and Development
Leadership development doesn’t stop when the team finishes a program. It’s a continuous process that they need to undergo to refine their skills. Follow-up coaching, refresher sessions, and advanced leadership courses can help them continuously build skills.
Start Your Team’s Leadership Journey Today
For teams to advance their leadership skills, a leadership development program in Toronto will bring their professional life to new heights. Through our various PLAYshops, we can create a program that matches the team’s needs.
Want your team to enhance their leadership skills? Whether they lead teams, procedures, or projects–everyone is a leader. Join our PLAYshops!
