Leadership Skills Gap Growing
Leadership and Management Development Needed

Gregory P. Smith

Jim Collins, in his book "From Good to Great," says when it comes to leadership--it is critical to “Get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats.”

The dilemma is this . . .it is getting harder to find the "right people." So therefore, if you can't find good leaders then you have to train them.

We are working with more organizations complaining about a growing leadership skills gap. As the Baby Boomer generation draws near retirement, there are fewer people available with the necessary skills and supervisory ability to replace their more experienced counterparts. Possibly, some of this hubris was recognized in our most recent Job Satisfaction Survey. Respondents rated one out of every two supervisors either "Average or Poor."

Tell me how a business is going to stay competitive with scores like that?

We all know leadership ability is the lynchpin to organizational success. Leadership skills cannot be outsourced, nor can they be bought. Leadership skills have to be nurtured and developed.

Those organizations that provide an organized leadership development program do better. Their ratings on communication, retention, customer satisfaction, and overall job satisfaction are much higher than those who don't.

Consider Baptist Hospital Inc. in Sarasota, Florida. They were listed in Fortune magazine's "Top 100 Best Places to Work for in America." They are also a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner. As part of their development process, all managers are required to attend their Leadership Institute equipping them with processes and management skills. This leadership development program impacts powerfully on the bottom-line by reducing turnover and raising job satisfaction. Consider these accomplishments--

>For the past several years, patient surveys of staff sensitivity, attitude, and concern, and overall cheerfulness of hospital staff all have been near the 99th percentile.

>The employee turnover rate has improved at BHI from 27 percent in 1997 to 13.9 percent in 2003.

>BHI staff report positive morale has risen from 47 percent in 1996 to 84 percent in 2001.

To help bridge the leadership gap we have partnered with another company to provide a cost effective, self-contained leadership program you can use inside your organization. The program has been used by over two million people worldwide, and has a proven track record of over 25 years of training experience.

The program will improve relations between leaders and team members increasing worker and leader productivity. The program can be used over and over again. With the Online version of the Supervision Series, individuals can take advantage of refresher and ramp-up training anytime, anywhere—supporting their goals.

Now I am more than glad to come to your organization and conduct a customized leadership program. But knowing many organizations are budget constrained, that option may not be possible. Now for a fraction of the cost, we can provide you with the materials and an on-line system so you can do it yourself.

Our training programs come with:

• Facilitator guides

• Participant guides

• DVD/VHS Videos

• Assessments/Tests

On-line or classroom versions

There are over 12 different modules in this program. Each module can be taught in a half-day classroom program or approximately 45 minutes to two hours on the Internet.

Module Titles Include:

• Essential Skills of Leadership

• Essential Skills of Communicating

• Effective Discipline

• Developing Performance Goals & Standards

• Improving Work Habits

• Coaching Job Skills

• Delegating Effectively

• Providing Performance Feedback

• Managing Complaints

• Communicating Up

• Resolving Conflicts

• Supporting Change

Our leadership and management training courses will help you advance your career by learning the critical skills needed to become an excellent manager or supervisor—retaining your best people, motivating, delegating, resolving conflict, coaching, counseling with and more!