Why e-learning is the Answer to Leadership Training

In the last 18 months, global executives have recognized leadership as the number one skill gap within their workforce. Assessing and hiring at executive level is both tricky and expensive. If your preferred candidate turns out to be ineffective, you’ve not just wasted money, it may also negatively impact your employees’ performance, development, morale and motivation – with increased staff turnover a significant risk. It makes sense to look for potential within your own workforce and develop from within, but in order to create effective leaders, you need an effective leadership training programme that can be accessed and understood by your global team. Why e-learning creates better leaders There are several reasons why traditional ‘chalk and talk’ methods are no longer considered appropriate for delivering leadership training. They are criticized by leaders themselves for focusing on theory over practice, with overly prescriptive formats that neither engage the audience nor consider individual learners’ needs. E-learning has been around for almost as long as the internet itself, but the introduction of smart devices now means that it can deliver fully interactive digital experiences that remedy these issues. A leadership e-learning programme allows you to take your learner out of the classroom and immerse them in real-life leadership situations that are tailored to your organization. It means employees can choose the most relevant modules and put theory into practice in a low-risk environment, while exploring the various outcomes of their decisions. From managing stress and conflict to customer relations, it provides a unique testing ground for developing leadership skills without the threat of consequences, leaving participants far better prepared for dealing with relationships and encounters in real-life. Creating your leadership e-learning course Before designing your leadership course, it’s essential that you make an assessment of your own organizational needs. Naturally, you require well-rounded leaders capable of dealing with most situations, but you should also know whether your teams need more help with professional development or project management. Do you need to prioritize leadership in sales or innovation? Start with a clear idea of how you want the e-learning programme to contribute to your organization and set learning objectives based on that. Unless you already have significant experience in developing e-learning courses, it makes sense to work with an expert e-learning and training partner. They will help you brainstorm ideas, write, design, translate and organize your leadership training content into clear, manageable chunks. They will also be able to direct the type of content required to achieve your different learning objectives in a meaningful and relevant way. This could include anything from simple multiple choice questions to complex interactive scenarios depicted using imagery, animations or video simulations. Your e-learning partner will be able to develop and deliver the final course via their authoring tools, allowing employees to access it via app, website, intranet or learning management system. It’s equally important for global companies to ensure their leadership e-learning courses are properly localized for each target market. Highly qualified linguists will ensure content is placed within the correct cultural context while retaining the corporate message. The rise of interactive e-learning means that training and developing leaders is no longer about teaching theory and hoping for the best, but actively helping your employees to achieve their potential by immersing them in scenarios and teaching them to make better decisions. Don’t recruit your next leader. Create them. To speak to us about our specialist training and e-learning services, contact us today.