An innovative Leadership Development Programme - Coursework Example

An innovative Leadership Development Programme (LPD) An innovative Leadership Development Programme (LPD) Organizations such as PWC, LG, Siemens, among others use innovation to uncover the new opportunities required for growth. However, the managers or leaders face challenges on the innovation of the new leadership development programs. GE as a company launched an innovation leadership development program some time back. The program was called “Leadership Innovation and Growth” (LIG). Deschamps (2008) notes, “The program main objective was to stimulate innovation and growth within the organization”. To achieve the expected outcome using the program, they created new ways of talking and thinking. This was in line with the innovation to be practical and simple to grow into how leaders operated the business. The leadership in all the branches of GE has been included in the program. The leaders have learned how to transfer the opportunities and leadership ideas into initiatives that produce results. The launch of the new program focused on global growth in all the branches across the world. This required an assessment on what has been worked on and what is needed for improvement to achieve the expected results. LIG success had relevance and value that surpassed GE. Innovating can be taught to leaders and teams in organizations to achieve the expected outcome. For example, PwC US also launched a Genesis Park which is a development program that is unique and intensive. The program is designed to create business leaders of tomorrow. The programs help employees to integrate what they learn and how they operate in the daily activities. Govindarajan (2011) contends, “Most organizations achieve the expected outcomes by use of the new programs by developing innovations that include; keeping intact teams as one for development; leverage actionable programs; sharing best practices; create a common language; secure leadership support; and conduct extensive follow up”. Keeping intact teams as one for development; innovation requires teams to work together. This task seems easy but, it is one that differentiates many innovation programs. The leadership development programs at times fail to drive the real change expected as the leadership or managers do not go together in the course of the learning process. The effect of bringing the entire team together is significant. This helps the teams to build consensus more easily and quickly. In addition, the process fosters a greater commitment in applying the changes for the operations of the organization. Leverage actionable innovative leadership development programs; organizations like Siemens, PwC US, and GE apply programs that involve changes planning in their innovations and change. This helps in having a balance in management of the present programs. This is through driving efficiencies, and creating a future that involves the innovation processes (Deschamps, 2008). The transformation and change of the programs to workable solutions gives the teams new ideas. This brings some form of rigor and consistency across the organizations. Sharing best practices; the innovation practices require strong leadership and management. The leaders should encourage their teams as successes emerge to share the momentum and maintain what has been learned. In addition, a further drive is needed for adoption in the organizations for more success. Create a common language; team members should have a constructing common vocabulary that is easy to understand and adopt by the employees. Byrne (2006) says, “This will make the programs of innovation be actionable”. Moreover, this will make leaders to significantly improve the chances of making use of what they have learned for the success of the organizations. Secure leadership support; PwC US uses the, top bottom, approach into reinforce the innovation. GE has reinforced the learning part as an ongoing activity of the job itself. The development programs are led by the Chief Officer. The commitment of an organization’s leadership is significant to make the innovations work. Provision of leadership is a benchmark for the work that is needed for resources, time, workers, and ideas, as without this, every initiative will be in vain. Conducts extensive follow up; the organizations require some programs developed to achieve the innovations. This is because most of the times the development programs are not fully initiated after the teams leave the training classes. For the change to succeed, retraining is required for some touch points for the participants (Ladkin, 2010). This helps to integrate the innovation programs to the operations that are done daily at the organizations. PwC US has developed some follow up take forms for this purpose. The forms can be conducted through workshops or consultations, to focus on the leaders. They give the leaders the programs and tools that are required to be easily used in the innovation programs. The leaders in the organizations have greater roles in making sure the innovation and changes take place. They have to provide for the money and invest in the challenging future. The training programs that are available ought to encourage leaders to think on future changes and innovations. The LIG used by GE provides the leadership teams with opportunities to come together on a regular basis to come and develop programs. It provides for continuous learning process that is provided for in the operation cycle. Tim (2010) sys, “This is the same for the Genesis Park that PwC US uses”. In the slow growth world, the innovations may be difficult. This calls for investment in technology and R&D has developed a system that invests in people also. This helps them to position their business for the future. The innovations and organizational change have a significant role in the business. The innovation can be in terms of introduction of a new service, formulation of a new product, new administrative practice, and a technological invention. All these changes and innovations shape the structure and programs of the organizations. This calls for an increase and a higher percentage on the budget for the innovations to succeed. The structural factors and influence in changing customers preferences calls for the innovations. However, there are challenges and risks involved in the change and innovation programs. The challenges include; social capital, cultural dexterity, political risk, innovation, leadership, and global problems, among others. Organizations like PwC US use the Genesis Park that exposes the participants to demanding and complex innovation leadership programs that aid in solving theses risks that are involved. Lindegaard (2010) notes, “The Genesis Park devotes a majority of the leadership programs on dynamical and real time experiences for the innovation. This is unlike other forms of training programs that still use the traditional intensive, ways”. Other organizations like L.E.A.D International and ICG Commerce have leadership programs that are focused in solving the procurement problems in business. The program has an experimental learning workshop and is custom designed to facilitate corporate leaning. William(2011) says, “This helps to solve the competitive pressures that are involved during the innovation process”. The customer preferences are looked at and the nature of other competing organizations response to the market. This helps the organizations to make a difference in the services and products they offer and have superior solutions. The many organizations and industries have to spend heavily on innovation and change. This helps to facilitate the process and product improvement. Technology and the changes increase productivity. However, the challenges like implementation programs and workforce response to the innovations play a significant role in success for the organizations. Solutions to evaluation and planning of the innovations are significant in implementation. Communication, management and mandating the innovations and changes effectively are the solutions to the risks that are involved. References Deschamps, J.-P. (2008). Innovation Leaders: How Senior Executives Stimulate, Steer and Sustain Innovation. NY: John Wiley & Sons. Govindarajan, V., & Susan, P. (2011). Embedding Innovation in Leadership. Innovation in Practice , 34-45. ICG. (2010). Innovative Leadership Development Program . Leadership Challenge , 2-12. Jo-Ann C. Byrne, R. T. (2006). The Successful Leadership Development Program: How to Build It And How to Keep It Going. NY: John Wiley & Sons. Ladkin, D. (2010). Rethinking Leadership: A New Look at Old Leadership Questions. MA: Edward Elgar Publishing. Pwc. (2011). Pwc press release. Retrieved 04 20, 2012, from Leadership Challenge: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/press-releases/2011/genesis-park-press-releases.jhtml Stefan Lindegaard, G. K. (2010). The Open Innovation Revolution: Essentials, Roadblocks, and Leadership Skills. NY: John Wiley & Sons. Tim Porter-OGrady, K. M. (2010). Quantum Leadership. MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Tools, M. (2011, 06 19). Management by Objectives (MBO). Retrieved 04 20, 2012, from Motivating people by alignung their objectives with the gaols of the organizatio: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_94.htm William H. Mobley, Y. W. (2011). Advances in Global Leadership, Volume 6. WA, United Kingdom: Emerald Group Publishing. Read More