ATD Blog
Building and Nurturing Future-Fit Leaders Across Your Organization
Mon Feb 07 2022

Content
As the digital economy transforms business, leadership, too, is fast evolving. Today, organizations expect and need individuals at every level to be leaders. And the stakes are high: There are significant costs associated with poor leadership. Yet, most companies are lacking the leadership they believe they require. In a 2019 survey , 80 percent of respondents rated leadership as a high priority, but only 41 percent believed their companies were ready to fulfill their leadership requirements.
As the digital economy transforms business, leadership, too, is fast evolving. Today, organizations expect and need individuals at every level to be leaders. And the stakes are high: There are significant costs associated with poor leadership. Yet, most companies are lacking the leadership they believe they require. In a 2019 survey, 80 percent of respondents rated leadership as a high priority, but only 41 percent believed their companies were ready to fulfill their leadership requirements.
Content
When an organization builds and nurtures great leadership at every level, the potential upside is hard to ignore. The workforce is more engaged and more productive, reputations improve, customers become loyal advocates, and often there is a direct correlation to the bottom line. In fact, organizations with the strongest digital leadership capabilities outperform those with the weakest capabilities by 50 percent.
When an organization builds and nurtures great leadership at every level, the potential upside is hard to ignore. The workforce is more engaged and more productive, reputations improve, customers become loyal advocates, and often there is a direct correlation to the bottom line. In fact, organizations with the strongest digital leadership capabilities outperform those with the weakest capabilities by 50 percent.
Content
But today’s challenges and opportunities require a new generation of leaders who are agile, resilient, and digitally fluent. It isn’t enough to ensure that leaders know what needs to be done. They must also have confidence in their abilities to effect change. Building that ability is key, and one-to-one coaching is one of the most effective ways to do that.
But today’s challenges and opportunities require a new generation of leaders who are agile, resilient, and digitally fluent. It isn’t enough to ensure that leaders know what needs to be done. They must also have confidence in their abilities to effect change. Building that ability is key, and one-to-one coaching is one of the most effective ways to do that.
Content
A powerful and enabling tool, coaching is often reserved for a select few—the senior leaders and C-suite executives rather than first-time managers or emerging leaders. This mindset is starting to change as leaders understand the importance of scaling coaching company wide. In fact, the International Coaching Federation estimates that the number of leadership coach practitioners increased by 33 percent globally between 2015 and 2019, with the number of leaders using coaches rising by 46 percent.
A powerful and enabling tool, coaching is often reserved for a select few—the senior leaders and C-suite executives rather than first-time managers or emerging leaders. This mindset is starting to change as leaders understand the importance of scaling coaching company wide. In fact, the International Coaching Federation estimates that the number of leadership coach practitioners increased by 33 percent globally between 2015 and 2019, with the number of leaders using coaches rising by 46 percent.
The Importance of a Coaching Solution
Content
To build the next generation of leaders, organizations need to accelerate professional growth through personalized introspective coaching, assessments, and action plans designed to drive behavioral change. The best way to do this is through a coaching solution that expands leadership capabilities across the business.
To build the next generation of leaders, organizations need to accelerate professional growth through personalized introspective coaching, assessments, and action plans designed to drive behavioral change. The best way to do this is through a coaching solution that expands leadership capabilities across the business.
Content
Data from recent studies further supports this need for a powerful coaching solution:
Data from recent studies further supports this need for a powerful coaching solution:
Content
Only two in five organizations are developing leaders in a way that benefits the business.
Only two in five organizations are developing leaders in a way that benefits the business.
Content
Seventy-two percent of organizations point to an absence of coaching as a reason leaders lack critical leadership competencies. (Source: Brandon Hall Group, Improving Leadership Development in the Post-COVID Era, 2020)
Seventy-two percent of organizations point to an absence of coaching as a reason leaders lack critical leadership competencies. (Source: Brandon Hall Group, Improving Leadership Development in the Post-COVID Era, 2020)
Content
Meanwhile, there’s a measurable difference between digital-ready leaders and those who are not. Highly capable digital-ready leaders are more likely (89 percent versus 58 percent) to take on stretch assignments to build new skills and more likely (67 percent versus 34 percent) to provide input to grow the business.
Meanwhile, there’s a measurable difference between digital-ready leaders and those who are not. Highly capable digital-ready leaders are more likely (89 percent versus 58 percent) to take on stretch assignments to build new skills and more likely (67 percent versus 34 percent) to provide input to grow the business.
Content
None of this is surprising. The digital economy has already transformed the way we work. Organizations are flatter, and individuals take on new—often self-directed—responsibilities at every level. As a result, many companies are experiencing a leadership gap and the negative outcomes associated with it.
None of this is surprising. The digital economy has already transformed the way we work. Organizations are flatter, and individuals take on new—often self-directed—responsibilities at every level. As a result, many companies are experiencing a leadership gap and the negative outcomes associated with it.
Content
The dilemma is twofold. New leaders lack the experience they need, while many established leaders require a new set of skills to be effective in a fast-changing business environment.
The dilemma is twofold. New leaders lack the experience they need, while many established leaders require a new set of skills to be effective in a fast-changing business environment.
Content
The best leaders will be those who have both knowledge and ability to demonstrate leadership, who are comfortable thinking digital-first, and who can pivot quickly, leading their teams and organizations into the future.
The best leaders will be those who have both knowledge and ability to demonstrate leadership, who are comfortable thinking digital-first, and who can pivot quickly, leading their teams and organizations into the future.
