In a recent article in CLO Magazine, Stephen Parker, vice president of consulting for Blessing White, discussed what he considers to be the some of the common pitfalls and short comings of leadership development programs. He posits that at the end of the day these shortcomings mean that there is very little benefit from leadership development. Parker believes that leadership development programs are ineffective because they:

• Often focus on getting something done quickly instead of taking a plan full approach
• Are focused on the latest trends and fads and not on how leadership development will help address the organization's strategic issues
• Do not engage participants and they do not walk away with a desire to make changes
• Let the CEO dominate the conversation thereby limiting participation and open sharing of ideas and issues, and finally
• Don't encourage each participant to take a good long look inside and acknowledge that he/she needs to make significant changes

What do you think? Do your leadership development efforts suffer from these problems? If so then what should you do about it?

It doesn't have to be this way
While these barriers may be common, they don't have to derail your leadership development efforts. My clients who have implemented The Leadership Challenge® Workshop don't experience these problems. In fact, their development efforts have achieved measurable change in leader behavior, associate engagement, and organizational performance.

The Leadership Challenge development process avoids these common pitfalls in a number of ways. First, the design of the learning experience ensures that learning extends beyond the workshop. Second, since it incorporates feedback on a person's leadership talents, it has a big impact on participant willingness to try new ideas and approaches. Third, the model is simple. It is easy to learn and clearly connects leadership to business issues and results. And finally, with the emphasis on learning from experience, the program is a great way to get people to "own" the impact of their behavior on individuals and organizational performance.

Learning by Design
The foundation for all great leadership development initiatives start with the design. One of the things I like best about The Leadership Challenge is that the workshop design has the ingredients needed to build a successful, impactful, and effective leadership development process. The model is the result of over 25 years of research and hands-on, practical leadership development experience. It connects leadership to business issues and results. The workshop uses a variety of experiences--incorporating learning methods and approaches that are proven to help adults learn. So the problems that derail most leadership development initiatives have been addressed in the design of this learning experience.

The Leadership Challenge ensures that learning is a process and not an event. The basic approach to learning about leadership includes the taking the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) a 360 feedback instrument, pre-session assignments, experiential learning, exercise debriefing, self discovery exercises, reflection, learning activities to complete between workshop sessions, and actions to take to sustain learning after the workshop. It is this comprehensive approach that makes this workshop so effective. And there are so many other ways for you to support and sustain the application of these leadership practices. This learning model makes a difference.

Elegantly Simple
How many times have you attended a workshop only to be inundated with ideas, approaches, and concepts? It can be difficult to remember what you found interesting and even more challenging to put into action. The end result-you return home, get buried in an avalanche of "follow-up" messages, and nothing happens.

The message of the Leadership Challenge is that it leadership doesn't have to be complicated. The power of this leadership model is that it is concise, comprehensive, and straightforward. Its elegance is in its simplicity. This research-based approach to leadership focuses on the five key practices effective leaders use to get extraordinary results. These practices have stood the test of time and can be practiced by anyone in the organization, regardless of title or position on the organizational chart. They form the foundation for creating a culture of leadership.

Just because the practices are simple and straightforward to understand does not mean they are easy to put into action. Changing behavior is not easy, but by breaking leadership into these bite-size pieces, and coupling it with the LPI, leadership is easier to understand, put into practice, measure results, and make a difference. When it comes to learning about leadership and making a meaningful behavioral change, less is more.

The Gift of Feedback
Leadership development starts with feedback. The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) has been widely tested and implemented. Most importantly, research shows that leaders with higher scores on their LPI are viewed as better leaders, have more credibility, enjoy a more engaged workforce, and have higher performing teams. Who wouldn't want that?

Feedback is a gift and a powerful motivator for change. Seeing yourself as others see you is a gift. It validates strengths and shines a spotlight on development needs. Whether we like it or not, LPI feedback is how people see their leader's talents and these perceptions exist even if we don't measure them. Seeing yourself through the eyes of your followers can be humbling and challenging-it is often a force for change. It gives participants deeper insight to opportunities for improvement. But it also validates their talents. Feedback makes learning about leadership have meaning and relevance.

Experience is the Best Teacher
Adult learning experts believe that experience is the best teacher. This workshop relies heavily on this principle with impressive results. The workshop design incorporates experiential learning as well as opportunities to reflect and learn from past leadership experiences. I believe that the lessons of leadership are best discovered by experiencing something and then by participating in a process that facilitates learning from that experience. In the end, it is this approach to leadership development that makes the leadership lessons have meaning long after the workshop.

Also, never underestimate the importance of talking to the CEO before the workshop. It gives you an opportunity to clarify expectations, to define the CEO's role, to set expectations, and become a valued partner in the process. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Accepting the Leadership Challenge
The problems with leadership training that Parker outlined in his article can and do happen. But with The Leadership Challenge, it doesn't have to be that way.

As a facilitator, make sure that learning about leadership is a process and not an event. Incorporate feedback into the development process to give participants the motivation to change. Seek innovative ways to get leaders to learn from their experiences. Link leadership development to business results. These are the keys to an effective leadership development process-The Leadership Challenge.

Kim Chesky is the founder and learning partner for Human Performance Solutions, an organization dedicated to helping clients enhance individual, team, and organizational effectiveness. He is also a Master Facilitator of The Leadership Challenge® Workshop.