According to the 2021 Global Leadership Forecast, only 11% of surveyed organizations reported having a “strong” or “very strong” leadership bench, the lowest it has been in the past 10 years.

While there may be many reasons for this, one theme that remains true is that many organizations are unwilling to invest in leadership training for their employees. Companies often focus on hard skills over human skills – the soft skills necessary to be a good leader. 

With prioritization given to those technically gifted who can move fast, improve infrastructure and create a more agile business model, what’s often overlooked is the ability to inspire a group of diverse personalities into collaborating, communicating and working well together.

If employees are an organization’s greatest resource, then why aren’t they investing in their development as leaders?

As Zach Hughes shared in a series of articles on advancement in “Zach on Leadership,” getting mentored and taking classes on management and leadership are two critical steps in becoming a well-rounded leader.

These are also some of the same reasons that Paragon created the IT Leadership Forum over 12 years ago – to provide opportunities for tech leaders to learn methods for improving communication and collaboration while benefiting from peer-to-peer guidance.

“The Forum was created to help strong technical minds expand beyond tech-lead roles into roles that are capable of inspiring and building capacity in others, which is true leadership,” said Joel Jackman, Founder of the IT Leadership Forum.

Similarly, while someone may be good at ensuring tasks are complete and keeping things moving forward, their long-term ability to influence and inspire may be lacking. As outlined in the Harvard Business Review:

• Management consists of controlling a group or a set of entities to accomplish a goal
• Leadership refers to an individual’s ability to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward organizational success
• Influence and inspiration separate leaders from managers, not power and control

Looking for opportunities to enhance your leadership skills?‍

• Minnesota IT Leadership Forum
• Nebraska IT Leadership Forum
• Arizona IT Leadership Forum
• Iowa Technology Leadership Institute
• Emerging & Advanced Tech Leaders Academy (NE)
• ACE Leadership (MN)  

These are just a few of the available resources in the markets we serve created especially for tech leaders. If you’re interested in learning more about Paragon's IT Leadership Forum, complete this online interest form: https://info.paragonitpros.com/leadership