Tapping future talent is important for any business, but it takes years–not weeks–to train new leaders. Here’s how you start.

By Heidi Russell Rafferty
Wells Fargo: Your Business Advisor Online

EXCERPT: “It has to be an intentional investment,” says Leslie O. Marquard, chairman, CEO and managing director of the Winnetka, Ill.-based business consulting firm Marble Leadership Partners Inc. “You establish the goals, and the person who is coached agrees to the goals and says, ‘I will report back to you as I’m achieving the goals.’” After the person has transitioned into the new leadership role, continue the coaching to give them a safety net.

Marquard coaches Collin Lambert, director of marketing and promotions at WMBI, a 30-person radio station in Chicago. Lambert sought out Marquard as a coach because he eventually wants to become a station manager. Marquard encourages him to scrutinize how he manages each day’s minutiae. He takes a mental inventory of how he handles each crisis or interaction.

“You begin to learn about yourself–how you handle things, how you deal with stress and conflict,” Lambert says. “It’s a really detailed way of walking through the daily process.”

Marquard also facilitated a mentoring relationship between Lambert and his current station manager, who has been in the radio business for many years. “He’s totally supportive of me and helps me learn different issues,” Lambert says of his mentor. “He’s told me, ‘I want to train up people who can replace us and know how it all works.’”

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