HR, Talent, and L&D teams are expected to provide meaningful, accessible development to their organizations, but that can be challenging in today’s ever-shifting landscape. Mergers and acquisitions lead to new, flatter org charts and expectations of doing more with less. Global supply chain issues, political instability, rising energy costs, a tight labor market, return-to-office mandates, and hybrid work environments all mean that organizations need flexible, agile leaders.

These changes all call for increased collaboration, connection, and coordination, and there’s never been a greater need for effective leadership at scale.

The optimal way to achieve these critical outcomes and widespread alignment across the enterprise is by scaling leadership development opportunities across the entire organization.

But how do you support developing leadership at scale, when your workforce is huge, staff levels are constantly shifting, resources are limited, and people are struggling to keep up with day-to-day challenges? HR and L&D professionals need tools for scaling leadership, along with strategic recommendations to help them deliver evidence-based training content and transformational development experiences across the enterprise.

Leadership Development at Scale: 3 Keys

As our white paper outlines, when organizations are looking to scale leadership development as widely but effectively as possible, it’s essential to focus on these 3 principles.

1. Plan your leadership strategy.

Devise a leadership approach at the outset. Organizations don’t go to market without a sales or operations strategy. Likewise, there should be hesitance about going to market without a leadership strategy.

Think through how different levels of your organization are affected by culture shifts that require new goals and strategies, and view leadership as a lever to execute the business strategy and drive organizational performance. Organizations that are most effective at creating new leadership capabilities focus on linking talent development to business results.

2. Provide access to relevant content.

Align the training content you offer to support the overall leadership development process. Simply providing access to hours of content, especially if that content isn’t closely aligned with your organizational priorities, won’t be very beneficial to your employees. Scaling leadership development requires a significant commitment across the organization. It’s not a program, but rather a sweeping initiative that requires a whole-systems view.

Large-scale change requires that you create the right architecture to support your learning and development objectives for leaders at every level. To maximize success, focus on the skills, behaviors, and practices needed by individual leaders and on the organizational leadership capabilities needed to support the business strategy.

3. Leverage internal and external talent.

Consider whether, and how, your internal team could use the support of an external partner. Scaling leadership development effectively requires readiness, in terms of capacity and capability, and many in-house HR and L&D teams aren’t equipped to develop hundreds or even thousands of leaders at once. You may not have access to the tools or infrastructure required to provide meaningful leadership development that’s scalable (to provide access to all talent) and customizable (to align development with your KPIs).

At the same time, HR and talent leaders have an increasingly important role in partnering with their C-suites on organizational strategy and advocating for employee needs. Partnering with an external provider allows internal teams to focus on providing high-value enterprise support.

When internal capability doesn’t align with delivery need, or when your in-house team needs to place its focus elsewhere, combine insourcing with outsourcing strategically. Integrate your business leaders and internal facilitators to champion the initiatives, increase alignment, and generate buy-in, and lean on trusted external providers for proven training content and solutions.

Scaling Leadership Development Enables Collective Potential

Imagine the impact that will result in your organization if there is shared leadership vision, language, and behaviors — all linked directly to critical business needs.

Scaling leadership development is the optimal way to create new capabilities across the enterprise, and to communicate to every member of your organization that they are valued and supported.

Flexible development options can help you broaden access to learning for every member of your organization, across leader levels, and through every stage of their career journeys. And with the right partner and solution, you can meet the increased demand for training and development, regardless of the bandwidth of your L&D or HR team.

The 3 steps for scaling leadership development that are outlined in this paper will help you to more quickly achieve concrete business results, improve retention and engagement, and drive an organizational culture of learning and growth.

Download White Paper

The post Future-Proof Your Organization by Scaling Leadership Development appeared first on CCL.

Our programs recognized this year were aimed at strengthening leaders and teams working in an evolving environment and supporting belonging and greater organizational equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) for LGBTQ+ leaders.

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and CCL received a Silver Award for excellence in the “Best Coaching and Mentoring Program” category. The program “Leading in an Evolving Work Environment” was developed in partnership with CCL based on our Team Effectiveness Framework to equip leaders with a consistent leadership foundation that enables them to better deliver results and engage associates while working in an evolving environment. The training program provided leaders with practical techniques and tools to support high performance, collaboration, and engaged teams.

Merck and CCL also received a Silver Award for excellence in the “Best Learning Program that Supports and Promotes Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging” category for the “Merck Boost – LGBTQ+ Leadership Development” program. Designed to effectively support learning objectives aligned with the organization’s EDI and belonging goals, the program focused on cultivating stronger skills for self-advocacy, especially for LGBTQ+ leaders. It also identified relationships necessary to nurture a more robust strategic network for growth and reach for these leaders. This program was so successful that Merck has plans to roll out a scaled version to a larger group of employees in 2025.

A panel of independent senior industry experts, Brandon Hall analysts, and executives evaluated award entries for fit, design, functionality, innovation, and measurable benefits. Winners will be recognized at Brandon Hall Group’s HCM Excellence Conference.

We are proud to partner with these clients on award-winning programs that are contributing to the important work of supporting leaders and equity, diversity, and inclusion in workplaces around the world.

These client partnerships are among the many awards and accolades CCL has received from The Brandon Hall Group and others in recent years.

The post CCL’s Coaching, Mentoring, and EDI Work Earns Brandon Hall Excellence Awards appeared first on CCL.

Over the past few years, CCL and TFA have collaborated extensively to create and launch the Future Financial Leadership Program (FFLP)—a cutting-edge initiative tailored to further develop leadership effectiveness in the financial sector of Saudi Arabia. Explore the current open programs:

Future Financial Leadership Program (FFLP)

Emerging Leaders Program (ELP)

The success of the initial pilot program has led to the launch of multiple cohorts, reflecting a shared commitment between CCL and TFA to advancing leadership capabilities within this sector.

This commitment represents a strategic investment toward Saudi Arabia’s Vision for 2030, where the financial sector plays a crucial role in driving the nation’s economic growth.

As the Saudi Arabia seeks to meet its Vision 2030 objectives, TFA has identified the need to expedite leadership development across the financial sector domain. In recognition of this shared vision, CCL has been chosen as the primary partner for leadership development services. Over the past year, both organizations have collaborated with the aim of cultivating robust leadership across the sector.

“The strategic partnership between CCL and TFA aims to bring more value to the financial sector in KSA and help drive the leadership capabilities in service to the ambitious transformation journey of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” says Mana Alkhamsan, Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Academy.

This partnership is not just a collaboration; it’s a strategic alliance focused on shaping the future of leadership in the financial sector. By combining the expertise of TFA in financial education with CCL’s globally recognized leadership development services, we are poised to empower leaders who will drive innovation, foster growth, and contribute significantly to the realization of Vision 2030.

Commenting on the partnership, Hamish Madan, Vice President & Managing Director for EMEA at CCL, says: “Through our strategic partnership with TFA, we aim to support and empower leaders of the financial sector in KSA, and reinforce our commitment to the nation’s growth and journey towards global excellence.”

We look forward to sharing new and exciting developments as CCL and TFA embark on this transformative journey to empower the leaders in Saudi Arabia’s financial sector.

The post The Center for Creative Leadership and The Financial Academy Join Forces to Propel Leadership Excellence in KSA’s Financial Sector appeared first on CCL.

In 2018, the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)® received an $8.7 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) to lead a program that develops and connects leaders who want to create a more equitable society for all.

The grant supports the implementation and management of the WKKF Community Leadership Network, an 18-month fellowship program for developing local leaders who can unite people to create sustainable change. The fellowship program offers hands-on training, personalized coaching, community-based support, and a place-based, culminating project experience.

Each class of the WKKF Community Leadership Network brings together approximately 80 dynamic and diverse leaders from a pool of hundreds of applications representing the United States and sovereign tribes. The WKKF Community Leadership Network includes participants from Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, and New Orleans — the Kellogg Foundation’s priority places — as well as nationally.

“Our founder, Will Keith Kellogg, recognized that investing in local leaders and authentic engagement of communities is essential to creating the equitable conditions necessary for children and families to thrive,” said Paul Martinez, WKKF’s chief leadership & human capital strategist. “This fellowship is a manifestation of his vision. Every class of fellows deepens their knowledge and expands their skills to serve their communities in phenomenal ways.”

The WKKF Community Leadership Network fellowship places a distinct emphasis on racial equity and racial healing, community engagement, and collective leadership — each part of what the foundation calls its DNA.

“It is a great privilege to partner with the Kellogg Foundation in stewarding the WKKF Community Leadership Network,” said Martin Schneider, President and CEO of CCL. “We are honored to know and work with such a talented group who are committed to creating a brighter future for our children through an innovative approach to leadership.”

Since 2018, CCL has led and managed the program, based on its over 50-year track record of incorporating proven, cutting-edge leadership research into programs that elevate participants’ individual priorities and goals and our mission of advancing the practice of leadership for the benefit of society worldwide.

The WKKF Community Leadership Network fellowship offers hands-on leadership development, personalized coaching, peer networking, and practical experience. Over the course of the 18-month-long program, fellows engage in multiple-day sessions with all participants, convene with a smaller community cohort, and meet one-on-one with an executive coach. In addition, fellows become a part of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Global Fellows Network to support continued connection, collaboration, and collective action. This network of global fellows includes more than 1,100 change agents from across Latin America & the Caribbean, Southern Africa, and the United States.

Over the course of the program, fellows participate in multiple-day all-class sessions, convene with a smaller community cohort, and connect one-on-one with an executive coach, preparing them to rise to the unique challenges of our time. The program offers opportunities to understand the embedded racism in our systems and learn practical approaches to heal and unite communities around solutions.

Fellows go on to lead meaningful change in their communities. Several have run for elected office, including the mayor of Albuquerque and a city councilwoman in New Orleans, to create more equitable policies and foster economic growth that benefits the whole community. Alumni are also engaging Latino families to improve early childhood education in Michigan and advancing racial justice for African Americans in Mississippi.

To learn more about the WKKF Community Leadership Network fellowship, visit wkkfcln.org.

The post Partnering With the Kellogg Foundation for the Community Leadership Network Fellowship appeared first on CCL.