March 7, 2007 Leadership Training: Give Your Organization Firepower By Janet Dean, President, Advance Corporate Training Ltd. “You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.” How is this quote from Al Capone, the legendary American mobster, relevant to today’s workplace? It certainly does NOT mean settling conflicts by issuing your employees firearms with their staplers and highlighters. Just replace “a kind word” with your employees’ current skill sets and “a gun” with leadership training. Is your organization full of “kind words?” Empowering your employees by providing them with leadership training can give your organization the “guns” it needs to rise above your competitors to the height of your industry. Without strong leaders, your organization may end up six feet under. If your organization is not lucky enough to have employees who naturally lead, you can send them to the leadership program offered by the Vancouver School Board’s continuing education department (and cover all the costs) or bring a private training company like us in-house to deliver a custom-designed program or course. Why does your organization need leaders? Unfortunately, if you are asking this question, you are already behind the pack. Leadership shapes your organization’s culture from the inside out. Instead of faceless executives telling them what to think and how to feel, employees can mold their values, basic assumptions, and beliefs themselves. Leaders create conditions that enable people to have happy and productive lives. This means giving employees time and support to try new ideas and learn from the mistakes that come from experimentation. Today’s workplace is changing and evolving at a breakneck speed, who do you think has a better pulse on these advances: your leaders on the frontline, or your reactive managers? You can give your employees the inner strength it takes to be a leader by devoting substantial time to issues of attitude, morale and motivation. Leadership is also about constantly finding new and meaningful ways to show respect, appreciation, and recognition for the people who make it all happen. Combine these tips with effective leadership training and your employees will begin functioning at a pace never before seen by your organization. By giving your employees “guns” through leadership training, your organization will reap the rewards. After all, guns don’t kill organizations; poor leadership does. Originally published in Sounding Board (Volume 7 Number 4) Advance Corporate Training provides active, participant-centered training and consulting both privately and through the Vancouver School Board. Janet Dean can be reached at train@actraining.com.
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