Great leaders are critical. They drive strategy and empower their teams to execute on a vision. But what do effective leaders in learning and development look like, and how do they create teams that contribute to a company-wide culture of learning?
Top Traits of Effective L&D Leaders
- Experienced and Knowledgeable: Good leaders should have some experience in growing teams and creating strategy. They should also have a background in learning, teaching, training, or curriculum development to give them a strong foundation and understanding of their role, purpose, and importance in the organization.
- Superior Communication Skills: Communication skills go beyond being a good presenter or having impeccable grammar. Communication is also understanding the importance of timing of announcements and meetings, staying organized in creating and sharing timelines and updates, and practicing active listening.
- Ability to Delegate: Good leaders don’t want all the credit for success, and they aren’t afraid to share failures. They can effectively delegate tasks, responsibilities, and workload throughout a team to balance resources and skills. They hire smart, creative and capable people and empower their employees with the work they’re entrusted with.
- Creative: Building a solid strategy involves more than just logic and an ability to conduct analysis. Strategy is improved through conversations and diverse perspectives, and creative leaders who are willing to think outside the box, take risks, and consider ideas can help create effective, engaging programs.
- Passion: Effective L&D leaders are learners themselves. They are passionate about creating programs that help people. They are also constantly learning about leadership, development, and training. They are actively reading research and talking to other experts. They are listening to employee feedback and their team’s suggestions, as well as soliciting ideas and suggestions for better processes and programs.
Confident leaders with these skills can create competent and creative teams that can execute against any goals and build learning and development programs that result in high-performing employees.
If you’re looking to build strong teams or strengthen your L&D strategy, we can help. Our expertise is the perfect complement to your organization’s training plans. Get in touch today for a free assessment of your L&D programs and find out how to drive better business results through learning.
