The Leaders Within
by Mark McClanahan
Developing future leaders in a company should be an ongoing priority for any growing company. Consider the downside of not seeking out and nurturing future talent. Perhaps a manager leaves or your growth demands a new leadership position. In either of these instances, if you haven’t been lining up candidates, you will certainly experience significant costs in dollars, lost time and missed opportunities.
At Mosby, we try to identify future leaders in many ways. One technique developed for this very purpose was implemented last year. In early 2015, we launched a leadership and management workshop series. These ongoing workshops are offered every two weeks and consist of a broad range of topics, from basic management skills to more advanced leadership subject matter. The training sessions occur at the end of the workday and are nonpaid. All material is generated internally.
There are three key benefits to investing in these workshops. The first benefit is that they create a culture of continuous improvement and growth. There is tremendous value in employees realizing the potential for new career paths within the organization instead of looking outside. The second benefit is the actual lessons learned by the attendees. Much of the knowledge gained helps employees in their current roles. Associates become better equipped to work and interact with supervisors and peers. The third and most valuable benefit is identification of future leaders. Uncovering individuals who are willing to invest their time in self-improvement is by far the greatest return. When you see the same person coming time and time again, you may have a candidate for a future management opening. Keep a close eye on these specific individuals, as one could certainly be a future leader in your company.
Mark McClanahan (mmcclanahan@callmosby.com or 314.909.1800) is the president at Mosby Building Arts.