While you may be leading your organization or department successfully, what will happen when you leave your company in the near or distant future? Have you taken the time to invest in the next generation of leaders who will take over the reins of your thriving enterprise? If not, you may be setting up your workplace for disaster should you decide to move to another company or retire. Part of being an effective leader is thinking about the future. Here are a few ways you can ensure you are cultivating future leaders at your company:

Create a leadership development training program
One of the easiest ways to create the next generation of leaders is to train them. Start by identifying high-potential employees and eager workers who want to further their career development and offer training courses or opportunities for them to learn more about their field and hone their skills. This can be anything from formal online classes to informal monthly training sessions with your staff. Depending on your industry, you can offer as many training opportunities as you think are necessary and make them voluntary or mandatory. 

Mentor some of your high-quality employees
In addition to offering leadership development programs, you must take a few employees under your wing. Mentorship is still an important component of the workplace and an ideal way to further empower a future generation of leaders. These employees can turn to you for advice, providing you with opportunities to share your experience and knowledge with an eager pool of workers.

Mentorship may be one of the oldest forms of leadership development - and the most personal. Even if you are busy, set aside a few minutes from every week or month to get to know some of your employees and encourage them to further their skills and cement their career goals. 

Shape your working environment where workers will rise to the leadership challenge
You will not create the next batch of quality leaders by driving them away from your company. Evaluate your workplace environment. Is it welcoming? Does it offer opportunities for employees to grow and thrive? Are your HR professionals thinking long-term by offering outstanding benefits, such as affordable health insurance policies and matching 401K plans? If you want to keep future leaders around in an increasingly competitive job market, you must take care of your employees and provide avenues for growth, development and fun.

To begin developing future leaders at your company, you should point your employees toward online training courses that are easy to use and engaging for users of all ages. We even offer a director training course program. To find out more about this program, click here.