What are some of key steps / approaches that you have seen success with in developing high performing individual contributors into leaders?
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The short to the question is choose wisely. Same phrase as @DanCollins, different selector.
In my view, a manager doles out tasks to accomplish a larger objective while a leader taps into individual motivations to maximize the team's output. I think it is useful to differentiate since the term leader is sometimes used when manager is meant.
I concur with most of what was said for people who want to be "leaders" but not everyone is built to be a leader or even a manager. See @PonGNithya about opting out.
It is advantageous for the organization to convert a high performing individual contributor into a high performing group contributor(manager/leader), but the role may not be a fit for the high performing individual resulting in negative outcomes for the organization and the individual. See @DanCollins.
Here’s an example, in a challenging college math class a professor's PHD and overall brilliance does not necessarily mean they are even mediocre at conveying their knowledge. Students do poorly in the class and develop a dislike of the subject: lose-lose.
High performing individual contributors are usually driven by intrinsic motivation and most seek self-improvement to be better individual contributors. Managing people creates a different feedback/ reward loop than individual contributor therefore it is illogical to presume that each individual high performer will be a high performing manager. Actual leadership, as opposed to just being dropped into a high position, requires considerably more self-work for most people. Natural leaders are out of scope for this post.
Outside of formal leadership training and development I think having them lead projects and programs is a great way to test their skills and desires. People leadership is so different from individual performance - although some are great at both, it helps to "break them into it" versus throwing them into the role. They have to want to do it for the right reasons and ultimately want their team to thrive and grow. Project / program leadership with key stakeholders can help inform their strengths and opportunities for development.
I work in IT so my answer is shaded by that experience. In IT we have a tendency to take high performing individual contributors and turn them into mediocre managers. I consider it key to know your employees well enough and have enough trust in one another that you can be honest and transparent about what leadership is like in the context that you are trying to mentor them in. Even that kind of careful and empathetic handling can backfire on a young leader if they are in a company that does not value such things, I remind the young leaders I work with in IT that yes, the computer will do what you tell it to but the employee rarely does. Unless you love people, you will struggle to lead them. So choose wisely, grasshopper.
People are your greatest asset and unfortunately your team is as strong as the weakest link. So I’m fully supportive in helping to elevate each member of the team.
So the question you have here is to enhance their capabilities so that they become a high performing team. My question back to you is … what do you deemed as “high performancing”? is it technical skills that they’re lacking or is it soft skills that they’re lacking?
If it was technical skills, that’s easy. Either send them to conferences or attend webinars. IIA has really good hybrid training you can have your team attend. Otherwise set up a goal for them to get some certification or complete a certain courses. I share a channel with my team on Microsoft team and whenever I see a good webinar, I’ll post it there just to help them out in case they haven’t had a chance to find these courses.
However, the challenge is with soft skills. It’s a challenge between everyone is different and now we’re talking about changing habits. You do need to talk to them, be open and for each person, come up with a development plan that they need to commit to. Opportunities I’m sure you can help find for them Bur at the end of the day, it’s their career and you can’t force them.
Trust and transparency and authenticity are the 3 words I would suggest. Be transparent and let the team know what is good vs not good, give constructive feedback. Have their peer perform an assessment of each other because you may not always see all the areas they can work on. It’s about letting them take accountability and let them try to fail but fail fast and try again! Let them go to make decision, you may be surprise… ins. Good way.
Much easier said than done, I say it like a pro but im constantly working it still… happy to chat live.
Putting the IC directly with a group of people to design and implement solutions alongside them. The natural motivations are there to grow and succeed as a leader. Servant leadership. Mutual outcomes. Setting and achieving Goals. Enabling and empowering others. Working in a interdisciplinary manner. Providing vision, direction. Working through details, conflicts, missed expectations, experimentation, successes.