How to choose who receives leadership training

Deciding which employee to promote to a leadership position can be a difficult choice for HR managers. While you may wish to reward the high-performing workers, certain individuals who flourish in lower-level positions may struggle to stay afloat once promoted.

Companies regularly invest significant time and resources into assessments, evaluations and recruitment processes to help identify the right individual for a managerial position. However, research from global performance-management consulting firm Gallup has found organisations fail to hire the right employee close to 80 per cent of the time.

This incredible statistic shows that the majority of businesses across the globe are having trouble identifying which individuals should be offered leadership training and the chance to climb to corporate ladder.

According to the study, only one in 10 people possess the natural management skills required to effectively lead a team.  While this may dishearten those HR managers attempting to fill leadership roles in their company, there is fortunately a silver lining.

Gallup reports that although just 10 per cent of leaders naturally hold the necessary leadership qualities, many more potential leaders have the ability to learn the required skills through courses and development opportunities such as influencing skills training.

A good manager can help boost engagement, productivity and morale across an entire business, while poor leaders generally have the opposite effect. It is therefore crucial that you are able to identify those one-in-10 employees who can step into the role and thrive. Failing to do so will undoubtedly impact on your business's bottom line.

However, when choosing which employees to offer leadership and management training opportunities, it may be worth extending the invitation to as many staff members as possible, as the best leader may in fact be the worker you least expect.