The need for leadership development in Singapore

The next generation of Singapore leaders are coming into the workforce as a shift takes place in the way we view business leadership.

Traditionally managers have risen through the ranks, purely based on logical progression from one level to the next, rather than their qualities and skills as potential leaders.

Today, as employers recognise growing gaps in leadership talent, this is no longer the case.

Here are five tips to keep in mind when developing your leadership pipeline.

Start today – identify high potential employees in your organisation and start talking to them about a leadership career path.

Be the leader you want to create – leaders who model the leadership behaviours they want to see in others have a dramatic effect on shaping an organisation’s culture.

Share leadership stories — sometimes employees have real potential but don’t aspire to leadership roles, because they can’t imagine how to get there or what it will look like when they arrive. Successful managers should be leadership champions, sharing stories about their own career and lighting the way for others.

Give entry-level managers time for professional development and networking outside the business. Organisations now operate at warp speed, but a constant focus on execution denies managers the thinking and learning time they need to become leaders.

Implement a career development program tailored for each stage of the leadership pipeline.

Provide opportunities for graduates to shine, give high potential employees more responsibility to stretch them, and prepare talented middle managers for the transition to senior leadership through mentoring, coaching or post-graduate management education.