Randall, an HR executive, felt that he and many other company managers possessed excellent leadership skills. However, he wanted to bring in someone who not only modeled leadership skills but could articulate exactly how to develop them—all within a captivating presentation. That was a tall order, and it called for a skilled outside speaker.
He was well-networked with senior executive’s at the most prestigious companies in the world. He learned how they would invest in training courses on business leadership for their top-performing employees. They hired the best speakers on corporate leadership to elevate their star employees to the next level. He wanted to take his employees’ success just as seriously by hiring the best speaker he could afford.
Top organizations hire top-tier speakers because they choose wisely. They know the most important criteria to look for in a corporate trainer. They choose someone who’s not just charismatic, but who instills vital knowledge and skills in employees that drives results.
When it comes to succession planning for your organization, here are three things you should keep in mind when choosing a training program for your future leaders:
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Get to know the style of your speaker.
No two speakers on leadership are alike. Everyone has a different style and technique. Some are purely motivational—firing up your employees to perform—and some offer factual case studies and industry examples to show how to elevate managing skills, build a cohesive team, or maximize productivity. The best kind of leadership speaker is one who compels your people to take action but also offers them the hands-on tools they need to get started.
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Make sure the leadership program fits your needs.
Prior to a talk, experienced leadership speakers will conduct research to develop a better understanding of what your company is about and what you want to achieve.For example, if you’ve identified that decision-making and delegation are two key areas that need extra attention, the speaker will work to pinpoint the specific hurdles you’ve addressed in those areas. If you need to strengthen leaders’ communication skills, that’s what your speaker will hone in on. Talking to multiple people at different levels of the organization will help the speaker understand what most needs to be addressed. The speaker will also interview star employees to learn more about the issues affecting them and what areas they’d like to strengthen to help identify additional areas for improvement.
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Select a leadership speaker who will follow-up after the training.
Speakers who specialize in leadership trainings recognize that sustaining the lessons learned from the training requires follow-up. They’re willing to maintain a continuous relationship with you to give employees the mentoring they need if you desire. By doing so, they can help leaders to excel in their roles, providing valuable insight into how both leaders and the company need to grow. Ask your potential speakers what additional services they offer, and whether they have any published books on leadership that your employees could benefit from reading. Even if you’re not sure yet which extra services you need, having options gives you flexibility in your leadership development planning.
Randall secured a speaker who accomplished all of those objectives, providing ongoing leadership development to promising employees. There is no better time to plan for the future of your organization than now. It takes time to build, sharpen, polish, and perfect strong leadership. A speaker who delivers a top-notch leadership training program will prime your rising stars to become tomorrow’s top execs.
Hire the right speaker on leadership and rest assured that the future of your organization is in safe hands. Read Joel’s executive coaching bio to learn why hundreds of prestigious clients call upon him for all their executive coaching needs.
