Choosing an Executive Training Program

Written by Dr. Joni Carley

Most executives have been trained by the school of life. While more and more are coming out of business schools, most have not had the benefit of a formal executive training program. Whether you're formally trained or in your position by the seat of your pants, it's important to invest (or for your company to invest) in your own devleopment through executive development coaching and consulting, CEO executive courses, and/or through executive leadership development training.

What should you look for when you think you're ready for development? First, start looking before you think you need it. Most leaders don't have an adequate enough feedback loop and no human being has the personal objectivity to fully determine that it's time to move forward. The best leaders never stop developing. Just like Olympians, they keep their executive coaches on through wins and losses in order to constantly develop their strengths and weaknesses. The best way to decide what kind of development you need from executive training is to talk it over with your coach.

The second thing to look for in an executive leadership development training situation is that it isn't formulaic. There are many top tier, expensive companies out there who will bring you or invite you to a one-size-fits-all program with minor tweaks to "personalize" it. While generic programming disguised as customized executive leadership training in a particular area has its place and can be helpful, if you choose to buy into that kind of executive development program, make sure you have your own personal executive coach so that you can translate helpful distinctions into your own rubric. Remember, animals are trained, executives are developed.

The best executive development happens from the inside out. At Leaderful Edge we use the Barrett Assessment Tools to make sure that your investment in executive leadership development pays its highest return. We know that it's only by measuring your unique situation and creating a custom program that you can reach your unique potential. When you're looking for an executive training program, make sure you aren't buying a generic program that gets minor tweaks and is then called custom. Just because that program worked somewhere else doesn't mean it's the right one for you.

Develop yourself and develop your organization on a strong, measurable platform and make sure that platform is uniquely yours.