Leadership development can easily become a separate activity: a workshop, a reading list, a set of goals revisited at the next annual review. The intention may be good, but the connection to daily work can be weak. A more practical starting point is the challenge the leader is already trying to navigate.
Choose a specific development priority
A goal such as becoming a better communicator is difficult to act on. A more useful priority might be explaining a difficult decision clearly, giving timely feedback or listening before proposing a solution. Specific behaviour makes practice and feedback possible.
Find the right place to practise
Look for a recurring situation where the behaviour matters. A weekly team meeting, a stakeholder conversation or a project review can become a practical development opportunity. Decide what the leader will try and what they will pay attention to.
- Name the behaviour and why it matters to the work.
- Choose an upcoming situation in which to practise.
- Ask a trusted colleague for specific, timely feedback.
- Reflect on what changed and what still felt difficult.
- Repeat with a small adjustment.
Create support around the effort
A leader should not have to guess whether progress is visible. Agree who can provide relevant feedback and how often to reflect on it. Be clear about the boundaries of confidentiality and the purpose of any development conversations.
Development is not a promise that every difficulty will disappear. It is a deliberate way of building greater awareness and a wider range of useful responses. When it is connected to real work, the leader can see why the effort matters and the organisation can better understand the support required.
An editorial perspective for general discussion. This article does not report a client engagement or commissioned research.