Imagine spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on training your people and never following up to see if your investment has made a difference in the quality of your trainees’ work. 

It sounds crazy, but this is precisely what happens in organizations all over America year after year. 

Leadership training and development is a top priority for most of the biggest organizations out there, but in practical terms, money spent in this area is being wasted. These same leaders are failing and people are leaving their organizations because of it. 

What’s the solution? 

Is it to stop spending money on developing leaders? 

Of course not. 

Instead, organizations need to put solid systems in place to ensure that developed leaders are practicing the skills they learn in leadership development. 

This means that leaders need to have a really clear understanding of where they’re headed, what kind of challenges lie ahead, and how they can rise to every occasion with tenacity and courage. 

There is no such thing as a ‘natural-born leader’. Leaders are developed through training, support, and a long-term commitment to their vision of the future. 

But most of all, the difference between a great leader and ‘just another manager’ is that leaders see what needs to be done, plan out the way to get it done, and do it. 

Today I’m sharing 3 very simple, practical steps you can take to execute the leadership training you’ve received. 

STEP 1: DEFINE YOUR ‘WHY’ 

Why are you a leader? 

Whether you were promoted to leadership internally or applied to your first leadership position and got hired, the question remains…

Why are you a leader? 

What compels you to continue to be a leader?

The paycheck? The power? The privilege? Or maybe…the people? 

Here’s a cold dose of truth for you if you can’t clearly answer this question: 

Without a Guiding Vision, you’ll take your team to unexpected and unhelpful places. 

Here are some questions to help you clear up your Why. 

1. Are you money-motivated, or do you long for real change in your organization? 
2. Do you feel like you have something to prove to someone else or yourself? 
3. Do you feel a great deal of internal struggle between the daily tasks that come to your desk and the connection you feel with the people you lead? 

Within the answers to these questions, you might find some surprising insight into why you’re drawn to leadership. 

STEP 2: TAKE YOUR GROWTH INTO YOUR OWN HANDS

Your organization has assigned you leadership training. You’ve completed the training, got the certificate, and enjoyed the time away from your desk. 

But now you’ve returned to your desk, and you feel like nothing has really changed. 

That’s because this is where the hard work of executing on your leadership training begins, and it’s entirely up to you. 

When you put your career growth in the hands of others (specifically, your executive team), it’s probably not going to actually grow. 

Sure, there is a certain amount of training and movement within your organization that will be ‘allotted’ to you – but it will always be in the best interest of the organization, not you. 

And here’s the super-cold truth: 

Some of the people above and beside you don’t want you to grow or move up. 

With these two facts in mind, it’s in your best interest to take charge of your leadership trajectory. 

I don’t say this to say that you shouldn’t have faith that some people will want what’s best for your professional growth. You’ll come across leaders (the type we’re growing at Courageous Leadership) who have genuine empathy, compassion, and passion to help others reach their highest potential. 

But unfortunately, these types of leaders are not the majority (which is another reason why it’s beneficial for you to become one! There’s less competition up there at the top.) 

Invest in your own growth. No one else will do it for you. It’s up to you! 

Starting today, I want you to write your own list of growth items, and put yourself in charge of growing them. Find practical ways to execute on the training you’ve been given. That’s how you grow as a leader – not through training, but through development. 

STEP 3: ALWAYS BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR TIME, ACTIONS, AND COMMUNICATION

It should be obvious, but you’re bound to forget sometimes, so here’s your reminder: as a leader, you’re being watched. 

If you’re being intentional about what you focus on and how you spend your time, you will naturally come across as calm, balanced, and not fretful. 

When you switch from saying, “I don’t have time for that” to “That’s not a priority for me right now”, you’re signaling to those around you that you intend to focus on what matters. 

If you then waste your time with useless office politics or running out the clock till it’s time to go home, you’re jeopardizing your intentionality – and you can be sure that people are observing you doing it. 

When you step up your mindful communication and make it clear that you’re focused on what matters, your actions matter even more. So be aware that making this powerful shift in language has to be followed by a powerful shift in action, or it’s doing nothing good for you. 

You’ve been handed the keys to the kingdom, as it were – a chance to make real change in peoples’ lives. You’ve been offered training and opportunity, but you need to execute on both of these to make a lasting difference. 

Understand your motives as a leader. Take responsibility for your growth and trajectory. Be intentional in word and action. 

This is how you take advantage of the training you’ve been given and become a strong, courageous leader that will make a difference in your organization and your people. 

Leadership in 2023 is a different game than in the past. Stay on top of trends and the ever-shifting world of leadership by joining the Leader’s Edge mailing list right here: 

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