A leadership development training program is a goal of many businesses, but what exactly does it include? What should it include? How can it be successful?

The benefits of an in-house leadership development program are worth figuring out the answers to those questions. A successful program can increase productivity, nurture and retain talent, improve employee engagement and enhance your employer brand in ways that may help attract new staff members.

Far too often, however, people can get stuck on the nuts and bolts of developing and implementing a system. And, yes, those things – determining training methods, selecting who will be trained, setting an implementation calendar, evaluating progress – are incredibly important considerations.

More crucial, however, is setting your program up for success by ensuring you have the right foundation.

What makes a successful leadership development program?

A well-designed leadership program isn’t just about skill-building – it’s about creating an environment where leaders can thrive. To do this, businesses must focus on creating a strong foundation by:

• Fostering strong interpersonal relationships
• Shaping an intentional workplace culture
• Defining essential leadership skills

As you sit down with your leadership team and decide how to get the most from your talent, how would you rank these core components in order of importance?

These elements are deeply interconnected, forming the foundation for any successful leadership program.

Prioritize strengthening workplace relationships

One of the most overlooked aspects of leadership is connection—the ability to understand, value, and nurture the people in your organization.

This core component of a leadership development training program centers on interpersonal engagement, including how we understand, value and nurture the gifts of the people we hire.

It’s also the piece with which most people struggle. Connection skills are soft skills, but that doesn’t mean they’re “weak.” In fact, they are quite powerful. Competency is what we expect from people, culture is what employees live in, but connection is what employees need.

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