Why New Managers Need to Consider Leadership Courses

In any company, new managers are always a valuable asset. They bring fresh ideas and new perspectives to the table, and they can help to improve employee productivity and morale. However, in order for new managers to be effective leaders, they need to have the proper training and education. That’s where leadership courses come in. Leadership courses can provide new managers with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in their roles. In this article, we will discuss why new managers should consider taking leadership courses, and we will also outline some of the benefits that these courses offer employees. Finally, we’ll touch on some ways to get the most out of your leadership course so you can retain as much as possible!

Even if you are a confident, experienced leader, you can still benefit from a leadership development course. If you are truly dedicated to your status as a leader, you will be interested in continuous personal development in order to be as strategically effective, emotionally intelligent, and ethical a leader as possible. Even to established leaders, leadership courses can have many benefits, including:

·      Sparking new ideas, insights, or strategies

·      Honing communication skills

·      Increasing your confidence (or alternatively, humbling you with fresh information)

·      Interrupting old thought paradigms and offering a fresh perspective

·      Boost your sense of purpose in the workplace

What are the risks associated with taking a leadership course? Maybe you don’t get the most out of it, or maybe you don’t connect with your mentor or leadership coach. In the worst-case scenario, you might waste some money—but this can be mitigated with a little research ahead of time in finding the right leadership course for you. Bar none, the rewards for taking a leadership course far outweigh the risks. Do you have a real reason not to try to better yourself, or do you have excuses?

Of course, you don’t have to shoulder the whole load of corporate responsibility yourself—you’re only human after all. And while at a first glance it might seem costly to implement a leadership training program for your employees, you may find that it has a significant enough Return On Investment (ROI) to warrant immediate execution. While the benefits to investing in leadership training for your employees are many, we have distilled them into three bullet points in the following passage.

Are you interested in retaining the employees that you’ve already invested in, versus going through the hassle and expense of hiring and training new folks after you churn through burned out employees? Are you interested in motivating your employees to work harder, and potentially even for less money? The answer to these questions lies in the form of granting more autonomy, and leadership courses will offer just that. By investing in your employees in this way, you will create more confident, autonomous employees that are likelier to want to give their best to the company—and keep on raising the bar. What’s more, leadership courses are often best executed as a group, which can lead to crew cohesion and strengthened connections between coworkers, making for a more resilient network of employees.

Now that you’ve created a network of driven employees, you’ve just raised the bar across the industry. This creates better networking opportunities within your field, attracts a higher-brow customer demographic, and even attracts more talented employees that want to work for you. If you can retain your employees, motivate them, and keep them happy through providing forward career progress and increasing autonomy, you will likewise draw in folks that are interested in—and capable of—working within that kind of atmosphere.

We hate to be crass, but in business, it really is all about the bottom line. And while it might seem like leadership training is an unnecessary business expense, hear us out: this type of investment pays almost untold dividends, both observable and unimaginable. For example, by investing in your employees, the good ones will want to stay longer. This means money saved in training new hires and time wasted in the hiring process. Studies show that loyal employees are actually sometimes willing to accept lower pay, if they believe that the company has a strong value system that aligns with their ethics. We’re sure we don’t need to tell you how that impacts your bottom line.

You can actually find ways to measure how leadership courses can increase your workplace productivity. Maybe you hold weekly meetings to make sure everyone’s on the same page and that work is getting accomplished on time, or maybe you hold After Action Reviews (AARs) when something doesn’t go well so all can learn from the mistake and benefit in the long term. While it might take a while to take root, planting seeds of leadership in your business is an investment in a strategic long play, leading to company expansion. Long story short, if you don’t plant these seeds, your business might be less likely to flourish long-term, or may at best plateau at a certain level of development.

Alright, say we’ve convinced you that a leadership course might be worth your while. Now what? Is there any way to prepare? We think so. Here are some of the top ways you can get the most out of a leadership course:

1.     Come with an open mind. It should go without saying, but thinking you already know everything there is to know about leadership is not conducive to learning, making connections, or successfully networking with your peers. If you come to your leadership course ready to learn, you are simply more likely to actually benefit from the experience.

2.     Take care of your physical needs. This might seem like it should go without saying, but eat right, get enough sleep, and stay hydrated throughout the day. Your brain will need its full capacity if you are to excel in training. And if you can’t take care of yourself first and foremost, you are not fit to be a leader.

3.     Take notes. If it’s not your style to lug around a pen and notepad, ask if you can record a lecture or workshop. Sometimes replaying or revisiting information can continue to benefit you, much like how rereading an old favorite book later in life can sometimes carry new meaning.

4.     Look for experiential leadership courses. This is just our personal favorite option, because we know it’s the future of learning. Besides, many believe experiential-based learning helps with emotional as well as cognitive learning while improving overall retention. Talk about a confidence boost!

If you’re a new manager, you’re likely going to have to take some risks. Leading people can feel daunting or intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. With the proper self-care, mindset, and education, leadership courses can not only boost your confidence as a leader, but they can also create lasting connections with peers, increase your profit margins, and even boost your overall productivity.

Are you ready to level up your management game? Check out PMLG’s curriculum of industry-leading experiential leadership courses, or look for an upcoming training!