Leadership is often confused with management, but while every manager should have leadership skills, a leader does not need to be a manager. Having individuals within an organisation who can support others through mentoring and leadership is key to fostering a supportive and productive environment for all.
People want to be leaders, not managers
In the past, climbing the corporate ladder had the eventual end-goal of becoming a manager. However, in today’s modern workplace, management positions no longer appeal to many staff members with a recent study finding that over half of employees surveyed stated they do not want to go into a managerial position.
The main reason for the avoidance of management positions is due to the stress involved in the role. Other reasons include that individuals do not enjoy managing people, and others want to specialise in a specific area.
However, many people who do not want to go into management positions still poses great leadership skills. To support those individuals and your business, introducing the concept of non-managerial mentors could be a great option.
The value of non-managerial mentors
While having a supportive manager is vital for helping individuals feel safe and valued in a workplace, having a supportive mentor who is not a manager is equally as important.
External perspective
While managers have the specific perspective and knowledge of a person’s role, this information is often a blocker for meaningful conversations. Having an outsider mentor who can provide external perspectives can help an employee further develop through understanding other viewpoints.
Unbiased opinion
If an employee needs to discuss something that is related to their role, or even their direct manager having a secondary person to talk to can be hugely beneficial, as they will feel more comfortable opening up and sharing what’s on their mind.
Mentorship as an alternative to management positions
For the 42% of individuals who said they do not want to become managers as they do not enjoy managing people, becoming a mentor could be a great solution. Mentoring an individual is very different to managing them and can be a great opportunity for those who poses leadership skills and would like to develop as a leader, without managing others.
Professional Coaching Training
Professional coaching is a way to help people become mentors in the workplace. Training as a professional coach equips staff with enhanced leadership capability, whilst empowering and developing others through workplace coaching.
Professional coaching training boosts performance and productivity by helping employees think critically, solve problems and take ownership of their work. It enhances leadership capability by developing emotional intelligence, communication and a more empowering management style.
Offering this training for both individuals in management positions, and mid-weight and senior members of staff who are not direct managers would help your organisation develop better leadership.
Level 5 Professional Coaching Apprenticeship
LMP Education’s brand-new Level 5 Professional Coaching apprenticeship programme provides learners with structured training to develop skills and knowledge as a qualified coach. The training includes a Level 5 Professional Coaching qualification as well as Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Level 5 Certificate in effective Coaching and Mentoring.
This programme available in three pathways to suit a range of sectors:
- Professional Coaching in Education
- Professional Coaching in Early Years
- Professional Coaching in Business
If you are interested in utilising this funded training programme to enhance leadership in your organisation, book a discovery call with the LMP team today!
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