3 Emerging Leader Learning and Development Reads

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Begin the development journey for your high-potentials and emerging leaders with these reads

You may remember that this year our team is challenging ourselves to regularly share what we’re reading so you can stay up to date. This month, we picked some reads around the theme of emerging or high-potential leaders.

HR and L&D professionals can tap these resources for emerging leaders who are eager to begin their development journey or as they consider the company’s leadership pipeline and emerging leader development.

The Cross-Functional Influence Playbook – Susan Z. Finerty

For years we at FlashPoint have been talking to the importance of leaders - and specifically emerging leaders - to not wait until they have a title to exercise their leadership. In fact, even if you HAVE a managerial position, the ability to lead has much less to do with a title than it does with how the leader exercises influence. This "workbook" helps leaders and soon-to-be leaders learn how to think about their ability, instead of their position, and the influence they can exercise.

This book can certainly be used by groups but it is also a great leadership resource for anyone that wants to expand their circle of influence in a work or personal environment. As Susan Finerty says, "Influence Is How Things Get Done" and this book helps readers to get even more done than they thought they could.

Recommended by Linda Dausend

The Leadership Challenge – Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner

The Leadership Challenge is a classic leadership read. Around our office, every person has a copy at their desk. For emerging leaders, The Leadership Challenge is an opportunity to reflect as well as learn concrete leadership behaviors and a common leadership language that can help leaders at any level increase effectiveness. High-potential leaders will find it useful to develop their leadership point of view and principles, which will grow with them and their career.

Recommended by Rachel Semple

Case Study: Should an Algorithm Tell You Who to Promote? – Harvard Business Review, Jeffrey T. Polzer

More than giving a simple “yes or no” answer, this fictional case study encourages thinking on a hot topic in HR and L&D: the use of technology and people-analytics for decisions about promotions, compensation, and hiring. As our emerging leaders grow within our organizations, selecting who should receive development and opportunities geared toward future growth is a perennial topic.

Data analytics are not yet used universally, but they are often cited as a way to decrease bias and add to the data behind decisions. Does your company use people-analytics for decisions concerning promotions of emerging leaders, hiring, or compensation? Leave a comment below and tell us why or why not.

Recommended by the FlashPoint Team

We hope you enjoy these reads hand-picked by our team! Have you read a good HR and L&D book lately? Did you enjoy these reads? Let us know in the comments.