How to Create a Leadership Development Plan: Explained in Detail

Leadership Development is the process of enhancing your abilities, skills and knowledge so that you can lead people effectively. It can help you reach your professional and personal objectives and have a positive impact on your team and business. But do you know How to Create a Leadership Development Plan that can help you reach your long-term objectives? 

Read this blog to understand How to Create a Leadership Development Plan that is suitable for your business. If you're in a Leadership role or aspiring to be, this blog will help you understand the process and improve your Leadership skills. 

Table of Contents

1) What is a Leadership Development Plan? 

2) Creating a Leadership Development Plan 

   a) Evaluate and Recognise Talent 

   b) Secure Approval from Important Stakeholders 

   c) Define the Leadership Approach 

   d) Identify Essential Leadership Skills 

   e) Evaluate Critical Leadership Skills 

   f) Develop the Leadership Development Plan 

  g) Implement Continuous 360-degree Leadership Assessments 

2) Conclusion 

What is a Leadership Development Plan? 

Leadership Development is the intricate process of improving Leadership Skills and competences through various activities. It teaches critical Leadership skills needed at all levels of employees to effectively manage, motivate, and empower their teams to success. This kind of development is essential for cultivating a Leadership culture throughout a company.  

Leadership Development training can take various forms, including on-site training and mentorship programs and off-site events like training seminars, conferences, online training, and graduate programs. An organisation should design a Leadership Development Plan to fulfil the purpose of carrying out Leadership Development effectively. 

This plan will outline how it should be followed, what to expect for the staff who are going through this development, and how it will benefit the organisation and the staff. A Leadership Development Plan can have various formats and components, depending on your preferences and needs. However, the basic Leadership Development Plan includes the following: 

a) A vision statement that describes your long-term vision and purpose as a Leader. 

b) A mission statement that describes your short-term mission and goals as a Leader. 

c) A SWOT Analysis that helps identify your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats as a Leader. 

d) A gap analysis that identifies the gaps and areas of improvement between your current and desired level of Leadership Development. 

e) A skill matrix that identifies the specific skills and competencies that you want to develop or enhance as a Leader. 

f) An action plan that identifies the specific actions and activities that you will take to develop or enhance those skills and competencies. 

g) A measurement plan that identifies the specific measures and indicators that you will use to track and evaluate your progress and outcomes. 

A Leadership Development Plan can help you to: 

a) Clarify your vision, mission, and goals as a Leader. 

b) Assess your current level of Leadership Development and identify your areas of improvement. 

c) Define the specific skills and competencies that you want to develop or enhance as a Leader. 

d) Plan the specific actions and activities that you will take to develop or enhance those skills and competencies. 

e) Monitor and gauge your progress and outcomes and adjust your plan as needed.
 

 

Creating a Leadership Development Plan 

Now that you have learned what a Leadership Development Plan is let’s read further and understand How to Create a Leadership Development Plan. Here are the steps: 

1) Evaluate and Recognise Talent 

Understand what kind of Leader you want to be, and your end-goal. This helps you define smaller skills and traits to help you achieve overall goals. It will also give you a clear idea of the kinds of training programmes, courses and other resources to help you to achieve them. 

To evaluate and recognise your talent as a Leader, you can use various tools and methods, such as: 

a) Use self-assessment tests to understand Leadership style and competencies. 

b) Collect 360-degree feedback from various stakeholders for insights. 

c) Evaluate achievements via Performance reviews for Leadership effectiveness. 

d) Showcase Leadership Skills and accomplishments as a part of your career plans 

e) Seek guidance from mentors or coaches for Leadership Development. 

When you assess and recognise your talent as a Leader, you should be honest, objective, and constructive. You should focus on your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. You should also be open, curious, and willing to learn from your feedback and results. 

Advance your Leadership career with our ILM Level 5 Certificate In Leadership And Management today! 

2) Secure Approval from Important Stakeholders 

You need to communicate your vision, mission, and goals as a Leader and get the support from the people who can influence or be affected by your Leadership Development Plan. These people may include your manager, team, organisation, customers, or stakeholders. 

To secure approval from important stakeholders, you can use various strategies, including: 

a) Present your plan clearly, emphasising benefits. 

b) Align with stakeholders' goals and values. 

c) Incorporate feedback and suggestions. 

d) Negotiate resources and set expectations. 

e) Build trust and keep stakeholders updated. 

When you secure approval from important stakeholders, you should be respectful, persuasive, and collaborative. You should focus on the common interests and goals and your Leadership Development Plan's mutual benefits and value. You should also be flexible, adaptable, and responsive to the needs and expectations of your manager, team, organisation, customers, or stakeholders. 

Elevate your Leadership skills with our ILM Level 3 Courses and lead with confidence! 

3) Define the Leadership Approach 

You must decide what kind of Leader you want to become and what principles and values guide your Leadership. You also need to decide the Leadership styles and behaviours that suit your personality, preferences, and capabilities and match the needs and expectations of your team, organisation, customers, or stakeholders. 

To define the Leadership approach, you can use various sources and references, including: 

a) Use Leadership theories, models, and frameworks. 

b) Learn from Leadership examples and case studies. 

c) Seek guidance from mentors or role models. 

d) Gather feedback from stakeholders for improvement. 

It is important to be precise, dependable, and genuine while defining the Leadership strategy. You should concentrate on the goals and objectives that guide your Leadership as well as the abilities and proficiencies that make it possible. A Leader must also be conscious, introspective, and flexible in order to modify their approach to Leadership to fit the many and ever-changing circumstances and settings they encounter. 

Advance your Leadership skills with our ILM Level 3 Certificate In Leadership and Management today! 

4) Identify Essential Leadership Skills 

You need to determine the specific skills and competencies you want to develop or enhance as a Leader that are relevant and important for your personal and professional goals and your team, your organisation, your customers, or your stakeholders. 

To identify essential Leadership Skills, you can use various criteria and methods, such as: 

a) Define Leadership approach and chosen styles to determine needed skills. 

b) Gather feedback from various stakeholders to identify expected competencies. 

c) Use performance reviews and career plans to measure required skills. 

d) Assess strengths and weaknesses through self-assessment and feedback. 

e) Refer to Leadership theories and frameworks to understand essential skills. 

When you identify essential Leadership Skills, you should be specific, realistic, and prioritised. You should focus on the relevant skills and competencies for your personal and professional goals and your team, your organisation, your customers, or your stakeholders. You should also focus on the skills and competencies that are most feasible and achievable for your time and resources. 

Take the first step towards Leadership excellence with our ILM Level 2 Courses - sign up now! 

5) Evaluate Critical Leadership Skills 

You must assess your current proficiency and performance level based on the essential skills you have identified for your Leadership Development. You also need to analyse your desired proficiency and performance level on those skills and the gap between your current and desired level. 

To evaluate critical Leadership Skills, you can use various tools and methods, such as: 

a) Use rating scales to assess proficiency levels and identify gaps. 

b) Utilise rubrics to define criteria and assess proficiency levels. 

c) Create portfolios to collect evidence and analyse proficiency. 

d) Take tests to measure and demonstrate proficiency levels. 

When you evaluate critical Leadership Skills, you should be objective, accurate, and consistent. You should use the same tools and methods to assess your current and desired proficiency and performance level on each skill and competency and calculate the gap between them. You should also use multiple sources and perspectives for evaluating your skills and competencies, such as your self-evaluation, your manager's evaluation, your peer's evaluation, your subordinate's evaluation, your customer's evaluation, or your stakeholder's evaluation. 

Start your journey to becoming an effective Leader and team player with our LM Level 2 Certificate In Leadership And Team Skills today! 

6) Develop the Leadership Development Plan 

You need to create a document explaining your goals, objectives, actions, and measures for your Leadership Development based on your evaluation of critical Leadership Skills. You also need to create a timeline and a budget for your Leadership Development Plan and assign roles and responsibilities for yourself and others involved in your Leadership Development Plan. 

To develop the Leadership Development Plan, you can use various formats and templates, such as: 

a) Set SMART goals for clear objectives. 

b) Develop action plans outlining steps. 

c) Establish measurement plans for progress tracking. 

d) Create timeline plans with milestones. 

e) Prepare budget plans for resource allocation. 

f) Define responsibility plans for clear roles. 

Make sure to be clear and succinct in designing a Leadership Development Plan. All aspects and features of the Leadership Development Plan should be covered, with adequate details and information to guide you and others involved in your pursuit of excellence. Be flexible, adaptable, and responsive to changing situations or contexts, and consider feedback and input from your manager, team, organisation, customers, or stakeholders. 

Master the art of coaching and mentoring with our ILM Level 5 Diploma In Effective Coaching And Mentoring! 

7) Implement Continuous 360-degree Leadership Assessments 

Implement ongoing 360-degree Leadership assessments. This means that you need to execute and monitor your Leadership Development Plan and collect and analyse feedback and input from your manager, team, organisation, customers, or stakeholders on your Leadership performance and areas of improvement. You also need to review and update your Leadership Development Plan regularly and adjust it as required. 

To implement ongoing 360-degree Leadership assessments, you can use various tools and methods, such as: 

a) Utilise online, paper, or phone surveys to gather feedback from stakeholders. 

b) Conduct face-to-face, phone, or video interviews to collect input. 

c) Obtain feedback through direct, indirect, or participant observations. 

d) Measure progress and outcomes with progress, status, or outcome reports. 

e) Evaluate and reflect on progress and outcomes through performance, career development, or learning reviews. 

When implementing ongoing 360-degree Leadership assessments, you should be proactive, diligent, and open. You should execute and monitor your Leadership Development Plan regularly and consistently and collect and analyse feedback and input from your manager, team, organisation, customers, or stakeholders frequently and thoroughly. You should also review and update your Leadership Development Plan periodically and systematically and adjust it as needed. 

Kickstart your career advancement with our ILM Level 2 Certificate In Team Leading today! 

Conclusion 

Becoming a strong, capable Leader is a commitment you can make at any stage of your career. However, starting earlier lets you enjoy the benefits for longer. By analysing your current professional standing and thoughtfully considering your future goals, you can Create a Leadership Development Plan that matches your passions and helps you develop the skills needed to be more impactful in your role. 

Elevate your coaching skills and drive transformative change with our ILM Level 3 Certificate In Effective Coaching today!