With the unemployment figures in the UK lower than they have been for over half a decade, it’s clear that people are finding work easier now then they have done for a long time. With more and more people in, more and more people are going to be looking to progress up the ladder, and apply for leadership rolls. If you’re tasked with the job of taking people from their current position to one higher up on the ladder, how do you do it? Here are three popular strategies.

In at the Deep End

As the old saying goes, one of the best ways to get somebody to learn something new, is to throw them in at the deep end. When it comes to leadership, this could mean simply asking the candidate to solve a challenging situation that requires a delicate touch, or to coordinate something with a lot of moving parts. Whatever it is, make sure that you ask the candidate if they’re comfortable with what you’re asking of them, as forcing them to act under unnecessary pressure could be traumatic and potentially humiliating.

Specialist Leadership Qualifications

If the idea of throwing your leadership candidate in at the deep end doesn’t sound particularly appealing, you could instead try a more constructive approach. Giving your candidate the opportunity to complete a subject-specific qualification in leadership means that the candidate will be able to track their own progress straightforwardly, and be rewarded by the end of the course. For example, if you work in the care sector, the Leadership and management of Care Services qualification offered by a provider such as TutorCare turn your candidate into perfect management material. A company like Activia on the other hand can help with skills training such as communication skills. 

The “Slowly-Slowly” Approach

If both of those approaches don’t sound like the model, then a more careful, slow-paced method could be the best way to go. This could mean helping your candidate to slowly acquire the skills needed for leadership but without forcing them into challenging situations, or sending them on intensive training courses. A good way to proceed with this approach could be to provide your candidate with a book with tasks they must complete or concepts they have to understand before they can proceed to management or leadership roles. The key with this approach, however, is that it is not limited by time, so candidates can progress at their own pace.