10 Must-Have Leadership Discussion Topics for Rising Talent

Solid leadership is the foundation of every successful company. However, even natural leaders need to be shaped. Training employees to become effective leaders includes helping them develop the skills needed to manage people, resources, and processes.

In fact, according to a recent study by Gallup, only 10% of individuals have the innate talent to be great managers, meaning most leaders need a hand in developing the skills they need to lead successfully. Without this type of development, organizations can be left with leadership gaps that harm productivity, unintentionally impact company culture, and potentially reduce profits.

That’s why it’s crucial to start having intentional conversations to gauge whether employees want to move into leadership roles, and to better support those already in those roles.

In this article, we explore why having these conversations is important and dive into 10 leadership development topics you should include to better prepare individuals for leadership positions.

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Why is it important to have leadership discussions with your team?

Having leadership discussions with your team can benefit both your organization and employees.

• For the organization, it helps maintain a strong leadership pipeline, prevent leadership gaps, and improve productivity and profits. 
• For employees, it helps develop their skills and potential, prepares them for leadership positions, and increases their job satisfaction and engagement. Hence, a win-win for both the organization and the employees.

💡Companies with a highly engaged workforce are 21% more profitable and 17% more productive than those with disengaged staff.

Plus, exploring a variety of leadership development topics empowers high-potential employees with the various skills and techniques they need to succeed as leaders. Different leadership topics and leadership development programs can also help new managers understand their roles and view challenges from a new perspective. 

By discussing the goals and vision of the organization, and how the team can contribute to that, everyone will have a better understanding of the direction of the team and what roles they can play moving forward—improving motivation, collaboration, and productivity. 

10 leadership topics you should discuss with your team to prepare them for management positions

Talking through leadership topics can help existing, new, and aspiring leaders improve their skills and potential, ultimately benefiting the organization's success. By exploring thoughtful leadership topics for discussion, leaders can develop a deeper understanding of the complexities of leadership and hone their abilities to manage and motivate their teams.

Leadership training topics help leaders identify and address problems in their teams, better understand the needs of their team members, resolve conflicts, and create an environment where team members can collaborate and grow.

Here are 10 critical leadership training topics that can prepare your employees for leadership positions.

1. Employee wellbeing

Leadership isn’t just about achieving results; it’s also about taking care of the team’s wellbeing. Making sure your current and future leaders understand the importance of physical and mental wellbeing in the workplace and can communicate that to their team is a core skill. 

This is especially true when it comes to maintaining a healthy team dynamic and achieving success together—the leader's role is essential in setting the tone here. Including employee wellbeing in your topics for leadership development guides them to develop an empathetic approach to people management.

Here are some questions to provoke thoughtful discussion:

• What steps can leaders take to promote a healthy work-life balance for employees?
• How can leaders create a workplace culture that prioritizes mental health?
• In what ways can leaders help employees cope with stress and burnout?
• What are some strategies leaders can use to support employees' physical health?
• How can leaders ensure that employees feel valued and supported in their personal and professional lives?

2. Employee experience

The employee experience is the sum of all the interactions an employee has with your company, from the onboarding process to their day-to-day tasks. Leaders need to understand the employee experience to build a positive work environment that fosters growth, development, and job satisfaction. 

Encouraging your leaders to understand and improve the employee experience goes a long way to improving job satisfaction, increasing productivity, and reducing turnover. Your organization should prioritize employee experience among their leadership development program topics to make sure you’re able to attract and keep the right talent.

Here are some questions to provoke thoughtful discussion:

• How can leaders create a positive employee experience that fosters engagement and motivation?
• What are some ways leaders can gather feedback from employees to improve their experience?
• How can leaders promote a sense of belonging and community among employees?
• In what ways can leaders help employees develop professionally and advance their careers?
• How can leaders create a culture of recognition and celebration for employees' accomplishments?

3. Mentoring and coaching

Mentorship programs in the workplace are strong tools for improving employee performance. Leaders who know how to and actively mentor and coach their team can identify areas for improvement, provide guidance, and support their team members to reach their full potential. 

Great leaders can be a sounding board for employees, offering insight and advice on challenging projects or navigating company dynamics. Including mentoring strategies in leadership development training topics can help your leaders build stronger relationships with their employees and create a more cohesive team.

Here are some questions to provoke thoughtful discussion:

• What are the benefits of mentoring for both mentors and mentees?
• How can leaders identify employees who would benefit from a mentoring relationship?
• What skills and qualities make for an effective mentor?
• How can mentors and mentees build a successful relationship?
• What are the best ways to support your mentee in reaching their goals?

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4. Innovation

Leaders who prioritize innovation can help their organizations stay ahead of the competition, adapt to changes in the market, and create new opportunities for growth. Innovation is one of the ideas for leadership development you can explore with your company’s leaders, looking at strategies to build an innovation-focused culture on their team, how to encourage creativity and risk-taking, and different processes to help support and embrace these new ideas.

By including innovation in your company’s leadership development topics, you support leaders in creating a thriving and adaptable culture for whatever the market throws your company’s way.

Here are some questions to provoke thoughtful discussion:

• How can leaders foster a culture of innovation within their teams and organizations?
• What are some strategies for generating and evaluating new ideas?
• How can leaders overcome resistance to change and encourage experimentation?
• How can leaders balance the need for innovation with the need for stability and consistency?
• What are some common pitfalls to avoid when pursuing innovation?

5. Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Leaders who promote diversity, equity, and inclusion can help to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace where all employees feel valued, respected, and supported. One of the topics for leadership development needs to be about embracing diversity to understand and appreciate different backgrounds and perspectives.

In these discussions, leaders can explore strategies for building a diverse and inclusive workforce, addressing unconscious bias, promoting equity and fairness, and creating a culture of belonging.

 Here are some questions to provoke thoughtful discussion:

• How can leaders promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace?
• What are some strategies for building a more diverse and inclusive workforce?
• How can leaders ensure that all employees feel valued and included?
• In what ways can leaders address systemic inequalities and biases?
• How can leaders hold themselves and others accountable for creating a more equitable workplace?

6. Effective virtual leadership

With the rise of remote work and virtual teams, effective virtual leadership is more important than ever. Leaders who can effectively lead and manage remote teams can help to maintain consistency in performance, engagement, and collaboration across geographies and time zones. 

In a remote or hybrid workplace, leadership discussion topics should explore best practices for virtual leadership, including communication, trust-building, and team-building strategies. Leaders also need to think about how to address potential feelings of isolation and learn how to create a sense of belonging in a virtual team.

Here are some questions to provoke thoughtful discussion:

• What are some unique challenges of leading a virtual team, and how can leaders overcome them?
• How can leaders build trust and rapport with remote team members, and what communication strategies are most effective?
• How can leaders ensure that remote team members feel connected to the organization's culture and values?
• What role do technology and tools play in effective virtual leadership, and how can leaders choose and implement them?
• How can leaders measure the effectiveness of virtual leadership, and what metrics are most important?

7. Problem-solving

Leaders who can solve problems are great assets to any company, ready to overcome challenges, help their team adapt to change, and find new opportunities for team growth. These leaders know how to explore problem-solving frameworks, strategies for identifying and analyzing problems, and techniques for generating and evaluating solutions. 

Some of your company’s leadership development program topics should center around practical problem-solving skills to help them lead their team towards success.

Here are some questions to provoke thoughtful discussion:

• What is your approach to problem-solving?
• What are some common barriers to effective problem-solving, and how can leaders overcome them?
• How can leaders create a culture of problem-solving and innovation in their organizations?
• What are some strategies for generating creative solutions to complex problems?
• How can leaders measure the success of their problem-solving efforts, and what metrics are most important?

8. Project planning and delegation 

Being able to plan and manage projects, and also effectively delegate tasks to their team, are must-have skills for leaders.

Your leadership training topics should touch on project management and delegation so leaders can break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable ones, while assigning specific tasks to the most relevant team members. Both of these skills help leaders to ensure that their goals and objectives are met and their team stays on track.

Here are some questions to provoke thoughtful discussion:

• What is your approach to project planning?
• How can leaders ensure that projects are aligned with the organization's goals and priorities?
• What are some strategies for delegating tasks and responsibilities effectively, and how can leaders ensure accountability and ownership?
• What are some common pitfalls of project planning and delegation, and how can leaders avoid them?
• How can leaders measure the success of their project planning and delegation efforts, and what metrics are most important?

9. Conflict resolution

Leaders skilled in conflict resolution can help create the right kind of environment where open and honest communication allows teams to solve disputes, build team bonds, and improve how team members collaborate.

Conflict resolution should be a part of any company’s leadership discussion topics to help leaders build mutual understanding and empathy into their team dynamics—even through conflict.

Here are some questions to provoke thoughtful discussion:

• What is your approach to conflict resolution?
• What are some common sources of workplace conflict, and how can leaders address them?
• What are some strategies for resolving conflicts in a constructive and collaborative manner?
• How can leaders create a culture of open communication and mutual respect to prevent conflicts from arising in the first place?
• How can leaders measure the success of their conflict resolution efforts, and what metrics are most important?

10. Inspiring and influencing your team

Leaders who can live by example inspire and influence their teams, creating a brighter team culture and motivating employees to grow. Leaders should be able to lean into their lived experiences to guide and inspire their team members through their employee journey.

Discussing how to lead authentically rather than through authority alone is one of the leadership development training ideas that should be covered in your company’s program. These qualities can help to build a sense of unity and collaboration in the workplace and create an environment that encourages employees to work harder and strive for excellence.

Here are some questions to provoke thoughtful discussion:

• What is your leadership style?
• What are some strategies for motivating and engaging employees, and how can leaders tailor these strategies to individual employees?
• How can leaders create a compelling vision for the organization, and how can they communicate this vision effectively to their team?
• What are some common challenges of inspiring and influencing a team, and how can leaders overcome them?

Are you looking to prepare your team for leadership positions? Together can help

By intentionally having discussions on these leadership development topics, you can build a stronger leadership pipeline that prepares aspiring and current leaders to guide their team through growth and change.

The 10 leadership discussion topics discussed in this article are a great starting point and can be fully integrated into your leadership development program.

And this is where Together can help. Together’s development programs software gathers all the elements of your programs into one easy to manage platform. Combining multiple learning formats, training content, events, and professional mentoring programs into one place makes it easy for leaders to participate and reap the benefits from your program—creating stronger company leadership across the board.

Book a call with one of our experts to learn more about Together’s development programs software and how we can help!