Unlocking internal talent: How to cultivate your company's next influential leader 

Your company's next influential leader may be right under your nose — within the very walls of your organization. Yes, there are many hidden gems within your internal talent pool. As an HR manager, your priority is to discover and unlock this potential. 

In this article, we'll explore why cultivating leaders internally is not just practical but also a game-changing strategy — and how to tap into this goldmine of leadership using a Learning Management System (LMS) like Workleap LMS.

Hiring externally vs. promoting internally

One of the most common misconceptions in the corporate world is that influential leaders always come with impressive CVs from external sources. While these leaders can certainly bring valuable insights and a fresh “outside” perspective to the culture of a business, overlooking the potential within your own ranks can be a missed opportunity. 

Let’s take a look at a real-life scenario… 

Meet Rhea. Rhea is a diligent and committed project manager in a fast-growing tech startup. She loves her job and knows the company's vision, culture, and goals like the back of her hand. She's got a knack for rallying her team, her colleagues trust and respect her, she often brings innovative solutions to the table, and she’s usually the one behind the company’s most successful projects.

The foundation for excellent leadership is there — product knowledge, stakeholder trust, creative solutions, and tangible impact. So when the next leadership role opened, the startup execs promoted Rhea. And she was able to deliver value right away.

The benefits of cultivating your leaders

Organizations that focus on developing leaders internally gain advantages. It's not just about saving on recruitment costs, it's about creating a culture of growth, excellence, and loyalty. When you source leaders from within your business, you benefit from: 

• In-depth knowledge: Existing employees already deeply understand your company's values, culture, and processes. They know team goals and dynamics and have established relationships with colleagues, which means they can hit the ground running when stepping into leadership roles. 

• Boosted morale: When employees see you invest in and promote their colleagues, you send a clear message that your organization rewards loyalty and hard work. This boosts morale and inspires others to also grow in the company. It makes them think: Hey, if Rhea was internally scouted for a promotion, so can I! 

• Cost savings: Hiring externally, especially in leadership roles, comes with hefty recruitment costs and requires more time to filter, evaluate, and interview candidates. And then, once you hire them, they need more time to get up to speed — making their onboarding longer, more comprehensive, and yes, more expensive. If you hire internally, you skip most of that, saving you time and money.

4 steps to developing internal talent

So, what can you do to unlock your talent pool and prepare the next generation of influential leaders? Follow these four steps! We'll also share tips on how to make this work even easier using Workleap LMS.
 

1. Identification: The first step is to identify employees who demonstrate leadership potential. Look for qualities like a strong work ethic, adaptability, excellent communication skills, and a desire to take on more responsibility.  
   
   Workleap LMS can help you identify star talent through data-driven insights — like who scores the highest on quizzes, puts in extra hours with training, and completes tasks on or ahead of time. 
2. Training and development: Once identified, these potential leaders need a structured training and development plan. This might include mentorship programs, leadership training courses, or stretch assignments that challenge their skills. 
   
   Workleap LMS makes it easy to create structured and personalized training and development plans for onboarding or learning new skills. The online platform is very interactive and accessible, making it a hit among employees, too.
3. Feedback and evaluation: Regular feedback and evaluation sessions help future leaders understand their strengths and areas for improvement. Constructive feedback guides them on their leadership journey. 
   
   One of the best parts about Workleap LMS is that you can monitor all employee progress from a single dashboard. The learning management features keep things neat, organized, and clear! 
4. Hands-on experience: Nothing beats real-world experience. Encourage potential leaders to take on leadership roles in projects or teams, allowing them to apply their skills practically. 
   
   With Workleap LMS, you can invite partners and other leaders to share their knowledge and collaborate on creating training content — from live virtual classrooms to in-person courses. 

Unleash leadership potential with Workleap LMS

Unlocking internal talent is not just a cost-effective strategy. It's also a key way to maintain the growth and success of your workforce.

So, as you start scouting for your next influential leader, don’t go looking too far — search among your ranks. And leverage Workleap LMS data-driven insights and user-friendly features to identify and train the ones that shine. 

The future of your company's leadership might just be a few courses away!