Let’s be real—just because someone is a manager, does not mean they are also leaders. You must have seen it many times before that some are great at spreadsheets, but trembles in fear where they are asked to lead. To avoid this pitfall Charles Spinelli, a veteran in the professional industry, says that HR department can play a major role in shaping future leaders. Gone are the days of traditional HR department which ran on hire and fire mode. This is the modern era, where HR takes active part in leader shaping, talent development, and even organizational growth. Now the question is – how can HR department train leaders? How can they turn a manager into a leader? Here is what Charles wants you to know.
Charles Spinelli On Strong HR Department
Charles feels that before anything else, companies should start building strong HR departments. Without a strong HR team, it is almost impossible to reconstruct an organization. If you are lack in the HR management, you whole structure will suffer. This is why, everything begins from an HR department that not only hires and fires, but also give structure to the organization.
Start with Emotional Intelligence, Not Performance Metric
Before you begin your training, focus on what really makes someone a great leader. Emotional intelligence is the key to great leadership. Empathy, listening, self-awareness—these are not soft skills. Without these a leader will only lead and not nurture. Therefore, you can create small group workshops that dive into real-world workplace scenarios. These are not theory driven training programs. Let managers talk about times they made mistakes. Team needs to realize the errors are okay to make, no one is perfect.
Make Feedback a Two-Way Process
The whole feedback process needs to go through a deep transformation. To build leaders, HR department needs to understand that the team has its own say. Therefore, getting feedback from the manager is just one side of the game. HR department must implement a policy to seek team’s feedback on the manager as well.
Shadowing and Reverse Mentorship
A lot of people are going to raise their eyebrows at this. However, reverse mentorship has a way of showing leaders where their team lacks. When a junior takes the mentorship stand, leaders understand the learning level and where their team lacks. On the flipside this can reveal some dynamic future leader as well. This is a policy, the HR department can experiment with.
Role-Play the Tough Stuff
Leadership gets tested in tough situations like layoffs, team conflict, underperformance. Role-playing these situations in training can be the game changer.
Not only these prepare managers, these let them handle sensitive situations with care. It is better to make mistakes in training than fail in reality.
This Should Be On-Going
Leadership is not a static game. HR needs to treat it like going to the school. You must keep learning. Create an ongoing path with video tutorials, book clubs, fireside chats, and real mentorship.
The best leaders are not born, they are built says Charles Spinelli. HR department is the architect. Train your managers to be more than just workers. Help them be emotionally smart leaders who don’t just manage but also inspire.
