Is your organization planning to create a leadership development program? Does your organization already have a program in place? If so, this article will help you plan or quickly decide if you are on the right track. Five crucial questions to ask:

1. How does the program link to organizational goals/strategic objectives?

Question number one. Why/How will leadership development help us get where we want to go? Is it the answer? In other words, what are our organizational objectives and how will leadership development assist an organization in meeting those objectives? Defining the strategic imperative for leadership development is an important step in the overall process. In addition, what organizational resources are being committed to the project? Moreover, who will be developing the program? Is it an individual who will get to it “when they can” or an individual who truly knows leadership development?

2. How are you defining leadership & leadership development?

Each theory of leadership has inherent benefits and drawbacks. Regardless, leadership development initiatives should rest upon solid theory of leadership. The theory provides the roadmap for what you hope to develop in others. A leadership development initiative not built on a theoretical foundation is at a disadvantage and, in extreme cases, may teach concepts and topics having little to do with leadership.

A few theories to investigate are transformational leadership, situational leadership and emotional intelligence. If nothing else, be cognizant of how you define leadership and leadership development. I often encounter leadership development programs that focus very little on leadership development. For instance, they focus on functional tasks and management duties rather than leadership. To learn more about theories of leadership, please visit The Center for Leader Development Leadership Wiki.

3. What are the competencies/skills you hope to develop?

In his book Learning to Lead, Jay Conger (1992) outlines four categories of leadership training. These include: personal growth, conceptual understanding, feedback and skill building. Personal growth programs are “based, generally, on the assumption that leaders are individuals who are deeply in touch with their personal dreams and talents and who will act to fulfill them” (p. 45-46). Essentially, the purpose of these programs is to increase self-awareness and emphasize self-exploration.

The second category is conceptual understanding, which primarily focuses on theories of leadership. Leadership development through feedback is the third category and instruments such as the MBTI and 360-degree instruments are used in an effort to help individuals locate areas for improvement.