While editing one of the articles, “Lessons for New L&D Leaders,” for this issue, I read something that struck a chord: “When meeting with peers and up-line colleagues, ask: ‘How can I help you succeed?’”
Wow! When was the last time you heard that question? Better yet, when was the last time you asked it?
I have to admit, it’s not always a question at the top of my mind when confronted with mounds of editing, print deadlines, and Training Top 125 feedback calls. But it should be—whether you are a new leader or a veteran one. Because if you help others succeed, they, in turn, will help you succeed. And that means the organization overall will succeed, as well. See “Lessons for New L&D Leaders” for more wisdom from three senior-level L&D professionals who have made a combined 14 successful leadership transitions during their careers.
Speaking of new leaders, is your organization doing enough to develop them? For the second year, Training magazine and Wilson Learning Worldwide teamed up to conduct a survey of more than 500 respondents focused on creating effective leaders and preparing the next generation (see our “2018 Leadership Development Survey: Are Your Next-Gen Leaders on Track?” for results and takeaways). Interestingly, the majority of respondents, 72 percent, believe social media has a meaningful impact on leadership, for the positive and negative. The results point to a need to understand the role of social media in the organization and in leadership development.
Our cover story, “The Leader & Social Media,” examines this topic further, looking at how social media can be used as a tool to develop leaders. Training Top 125ers such as Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, Buckman, and La Quinta Inns & Suites detail how social media platforms can help leaders hone communication, collaboration, motivation, agility, and community-building skills, among others.
Providing recognition to up-and-coming leaders is another vital component of their development. I hope you will consider nominating a colleague, co-worker, direct report, or manager for our 2018 Emerging Training Leader Awards. To download the nomination form, visit: https://trainingmag.com/ nominate-2018-emerging-training-leader-today. Nominations are due June 18.
The 2019 Training Top 125 application—which focuses on best-in-class employee training and development—also is now available for download at: https://trainingmag.com/learn-more-about-training-top-125. With that “How can I help you succeed?” question fresh in my mind, I revamped the scoring for the application, including shifting an additional 12 points from quantitative scoring to qualitative scoring. The new scoring memos are also available for download at the link above, and I’m happy to answer any questions.
Last but not least, please do consider submitting a two-minute video clip for our Top Training Videos (TTVs) at https://www.onlinelearningconference.com/2018/abstract_form.cfm. And help us benchmark training industry salaries by taking our Annual Salary Survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Z5H36BG.
Many thanks to all of you for helping us at Training magazine succeed!
