All About Leadership Edge, Our Newly Developed Leadership Training Program
Promoting Potential
If you’re a small business owner, you’ve more than likely had an experience where you’ve watched an employee noticeably excelling in their role. They may outperform others, exceed expectations, develop great relationships in the workplace, and display potential that reaches beyond the responsibilities entailed with their current role. Naturally, you’d probably be inclined to promote this individual to a management role if and when the opportunity presented itself. Unfortunately, the pattern in this scenario often involves a jarring shift in performance from the employee, and is one that can leave business owners confused, frustrated and disappointed.
In my work over the years with clients and business owners, I’ve repeatedly seen different versions of this situation. Though there’s a simple answer to why this happens, it can be easy to overlook; no matter how capable an employee may be, success in a leadership role requires a whole different skill set than that of merely being a part of a team. While leadership comes naturally to some and is more difficult or foreign to others, all first time managers will face a learning curve as they take steps towards defining who they are as a leader. Leadership Edge was specifically developed as a resource for business owners who wish to motivate and support their new or struggling managers in reaching their full potential.
What Exactly IS Leadership Edge?
Let’s break it down. Each Leadership Edge session consists of between four and six newly promoted mid-level managers. Participants meet monthly over the course of six months for focused, 2-hour virtual sessions. These sessions include engaging prompts geared towards self discovery and awareness, along with collaborative group activities that allow for rapport with other individuals in a similar position. One recent Leadership Edge participant noted, “One of the best things about this course was that I was able to engage with others on the topics we discussed and really understand what others are going through. You can keep one another in check and ensure that everyone is taking steps towards their leadership goals.”
6 Key Principles Covered:
A Little About Us
Over the course of the last 25+ years, I’ve had the opportunity to lead in different capacities and found my greatest passion in equipping and empowering others to realize their full potential. I discovered my love for leadership development back in the mid 2000s, when friends and acquaintances in my network began asking to grab a coffee and ‘pick my brain.’ Several of these connections developed into professional coaching relationships, leading me to officially start my business in 2015. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a myriad of small business owners, franchise owners, corporate executives, teams, and individuals. While recruiting is a large part of what we provide at CoachCruiting today, coaching and developing fellow leaders will always be my favorite part of what I do.
After a successful first year, I invited a trusted colleague, Brenda McGregor, to join us as we grow this program. Brenda has 30 years experience in the corporate world as an HR manager in the hospitality industry. More recently, she felt called to shift her focus towards helping others achieve their goals, personally or professionally, and create the reality they desire. Brenda places high value on creating a safe, inclusive space for individuals to speak freely and learn more about themselves through collaboration with others. I’d admired Brenda’s vision, and could see how it aligned with mine in many ways; I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside her to further the success of the program.
Passing Empowerment Along
There was a key question that came to mind as I developed the curriculum for Leadership Edge back in 2022; How could I best ensure that the contents of this course would not only equip new leaders with the skills they’d need for success, but also create a lasting domino effect, propelling growth outside of just the individual? In other words, empowering others to empower others. In my experience, that’s what a great leader is able to do. Leadership Edge aims to empower new leaders by encouraging strategic thinking and teaching managers to leverage their specific strengths and skills as they problem solve. After completing the course last year, another participant shared, “When I’m empowered as a manager, I can see how it also empowers my team to be more efficient and diligent with their work.”
Developing Great Leaders
I believe that most everyone, with the right tools & the drive to know themselves better, is capable of accessing their individual strengths to successfully lead others. The collaborative nature of Leadership Edge provides valuable insights from those with different skill sets and strong suits, and offers different perspectives on common issues that businesses face. One participant commented, “I was really pleased with the design and format of Leadership Edge. Getting to interact with others coming from a different company provided a better viewpoint on how leadership can look, plus what works or doesn’t work.”
If you have one or more employees struggling to reach their full potential, we believe Leadership Edge may make a significant difference towards watching them thrive. We would love the opportunity to have a conversation with you to go more in-depth on what this program may be able to do for your team. Please feel free to contact us for further information!
