# Presentation: 515286

## NRCS National Leadership Development Strategy 

- Chris Tippie, Director
- National Employee Development Center
- June 10, 2008

- "Leaders Growing Leaders"

## National Leadership Development Program

***Vision***
- 	Each NRCS leader demonstrates an organizational culture in which every leader grows leaders and every employee is an apprentice leader.

## National Leadership Development Program

***Business Drivers***
- Predicted departure of 600 GS-14-15s over the next five years
- Large scale organizational change
- Change in the social, political, economic, technological context for NRCS mission
- Change in the profile of NRCS employees and partners

## Purpose of Leadership Development

- Develop Leaders at all levels who:
- Understand the agency’s strategic and organizational priorities,
- Have a clear line of sight between their work and the agency’s strategy,
- Develop critical skills required to achieve the agency’s mission.

## Significant Business Decisions

- The Employee Development Board supports a _pipeline_ plan, not a _replacement_ plan.
- NRCS will leverage the program to address business issues and maximize return on investment.
- The program will be research-based.

## Leadership Development Strategies

- Deputy State Conservationist Positions
- See National Bulletin 360.8.39  Issued May 13, 2008
- State Level Leadership Development
- Program Framework for State Implementation
-  Facilitated Learning Programs
- Implement National Mentoring Framework
- National Leadership Development Program

## State Leadership Development

- Targeted to potential leaders at the State level
- National framework will be developed for consistency and expanded networking
- Feeder pool for National Leadership Development program

## National Leadership Development Program

***Program Goals***
- Create a pool of candidates capable of succeeding 600 GS14-15s over the next five years
- Build organizational leadership capacity
- Institutionalize leaders growing leaders
- Create a learning organization
- Benefit and leverage diversity

## National Leadership Development Program

***Significant Learning Decisions***
- Senior leaders actively support learners.
- Goals, objectives, content and methods are based on current research in leadership and adult learning.
- Learning is experiential.

## National Leadership Development Program

***Leadership Is Learned in Four Ways***
- Challenging job assignments (42%)
- Interaction with leaders (22%)
- Hardships and setbacks (20%)
- All other ways including classroom training (16%)
- 				(Center for Creative Leadership)

## Leadership Competency Model

- Leading Change
- Vision
- Strategic Thinking
- External Awareness
- Leading People
- Leveraging Diversity
- Developing Others

## Leadership Competency Model

- Building Coalitions
- Political Savvy
- Partnering
- Foundational Competencies
- Including Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Continual Learning, Public Service Motivation, Communication, and Life Balance/Resiliency

## National Leadership Development Program

***Program Structure***
- Pre-Work
- Orientation Training
- Cohort Workshop
- Policy Seminar
- Capstone Symposium
- Inter-sessions

## Requirements

*Action Learning Team Project*
*Individual Leadership Model*
*New Leader Orientation*
- Minimum of 25% of participant  work time
- One three-month detail
- Four residential sessions in their entirety
- Personal Board of Directors
- Program Learning Contract
- Four Learning Plans

## Program Requirements

- One, one-hour coaching session per month
- Assessment center review
- Self-directed learning experiences
- Use of leadership systems, tools and processes
- Learning journal
- Required reading
- Residential session pre-work

## National Leadership Development Program

**Learning Support**

## National Leadership Development ProgramLearning Methodology

## Executive Roles

- Before the Program
- Advocate
- Behavioral Interviewer
- During the Program
- Executive Sponsor
- Mentor
- Coach
- Action Learning Project Sponsor
- Residential Session Host
- Tutor
- Speaker, Presenter, Facilitator, Panel Member

## National Leadership Development Program Team 

## National Leadership Development Program

***Barriers to Success***
**Lack of Senior Leader involvement**
**Poor selections**
**Lack of resources**
**Poor deployment of graduates**

## Questions? Feedback?

- Contact Jacqueline T. Horne, Program Manager at 817-509-3287 or jacqueline.horne@ftw.usda.gov.