Institute of Leadership and Management training courses launched
If great leaders are born, not made, then there's little point in management training. Thankfully, this isn't the case.
26 January 2012
There's an old saying which you've probably heard: "Great leaders are born, not made." In some cases, this may be true, though it kind of implies that it's pointless for the rest of us to even bother trying.
The phrase is almost a summary of an old-school way of thinking which dates back to the 19th century, called the 'great man theory of leadership'. (Well, at the time, it was assumed that only men could lead - remember, leadership was often associated with military prowess.)
In some ways, it's a notion driven by history - many situations have arisen which were subsequently controlled by someone who seemed, for some reason, just right for the job. Perhaps the most famous example of this would be Winston Churchill, in the Second World War.
While it's true that some people do seem to magically have the right qualities for leadership, it really is a nonsense to say that leadership is something which can't be learned. As Vince Lombardi said, "Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal."
Yet industry has a history of placing people into management roles without adequately preparing them. According to a survey by CareerBuilder, around a quarter of managers felt ready for their first management role and over half said that they didn't receive any form of management training. This is slightly worrying - it's generally said that cabinet positions are the only ones where training and prior experience aren't a prerequisite!
In the UK, one of the leading management training programmes is provided by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). Established in 2001, the ILM was the result of a merger between the Institute of Supervision and Management and the National Examining Board for Supervision and Management. Although the ILM is part of the City & Guilds Group, it has independent status as an awarding body.
ILM's courses aim to raise skills in every aspect of management, transforming people from capable 'doers' into great leaders. The courses are popular and lead to a series of well-recognised accreditations - last year alone, around 90,000 people registered for an ILM qualification. More people in the UK gain ILM leadership and management qualifications than all others combined.
At e-academy, we're adding ILM training courses to our portfolio, extending our growing range of soft skills and leadership training courses. The first ILM training courses added to our portfolio, to be delivered from our Cardiff training centre, are:
- ILM Level 2 Award in Team Leading
- ILM Level 3 Award in First Line Management
- ILM Level 5 Award in Management
You can find full details on each course by following the links above, but here's a quick breakdown:
ILM Level 2 Award in Team Leading (3 days)
As the course title suggests, this ILM course is aimed at those who are (or are about to become) team leaders, providing a foundation for their development in this role. It's suitable for those without any formal management training, helping people to lead teams and communicate more effectively.
ILM Level 3 Award in First Line Management (5 days)
This course is aimed specifically at first-line managers, helping them to operate confidently in the role, manage the performance of their team, manage organisational change, manage time, work with deadlines and solve problems.
ILM Level 5 Award in Management (7 days)
This ILM course is aimed at developing the skills of those in, or about to be in, a middle management role. The course covers: understanding the management role, understanding communications and increasing self-awareness using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, assessing your own leadership capability, managing difficult situations, overcoming conflict, managing a team and managing change.
Each of the three courses leads to a recognised ILM accreditation, which is valued by organisations of all sizes around the UK.
ILM training (not unlike other forms of management training) not only has a positive impact on the person being trained, but also on those around them and on the wider organisation. Although success and ROI is notoriously difficult to track, organisations report an improved bottom line (which is what it's all about!), improved quality, stronger productivity and better staff retention. There's also the 'flow-on effect' - improving people improves lots of things around that person or which that person is involved in. This may be other people - creating a happier, more efficient workforce - or it may be something more tangible, like reduced wastage.
If you'd like more information about our ILM training courses, either on your site or at our Cardiff training centre, please contact us - we'll be happy to help.
