Well , the game now is not just about searching potential leaders. It is also about nurturing and retaining the strong motive of effective leaders at all levels. The following are the ways in which HR can work to ensure the development and retention of strong and effective leaders in the organization-

• Being a strong personal confidante  – A majority of CEOs, though not all, look for advice and support not only on people and organizational issues but on the personal ups and downs of leadership. The head of HR needs to act as a valued listener and adviser for the senior leadership. The leadership wants more than simply passive support but rather wants to be challenged periodically and needs to hear unbiased view. They expect HRD's to fill the vacuum on people issues and their style and alignment. HR's can cater to this role extremely well thus collaborating to organize and deliver goals.
• Regular checks on leadership promotions and growth - Organizations often promote people with advanced technical skills in leadership roles. The issue with this is that technical skills don’t necessarily translate into excellent leadership skills. HR needs to be aware of the impact poor leadership can have on staff morale, and plan ahead to avoid this.  When people are promoted into leadership positions, it’s HR’s responsibility to ensure they’re suitably trained to be able to manage their new position. This means they should create an effective system around promotion, ensuring leaders are engrossed in constant mentoring, training programs and coaching.

  

• Designing and encouraging employee- centric approach – HR should enamor employee centric approach throughout the phase of developing leadership. They should ensure effective people management is driven into the blood of the organization. Engaging in the empathetic practices and empowerment will ensure clear expectations and delivery across the organization. HR's need to encourage leaders to unfollow a militaristic approach and focus on interpersonal skills and take employee engagement into account constantly.
• Open conversations on succession planning- Unfortunately, surprises are inevitable in life. When a key employee from leadership team announces that he is leaving the organization, it could turn out to be one of the nasty surprises that create turmoil. The departure can create a domino-like effect that leaves leadership gaps all along that succession line. Despite the inevitability of surprises, what matters most is that HR function is prepared to respond in such occasions. It becomes extremely important to have honest open conversations with leaders to constantly keep oneself updated on plans and prepare succession early in time.

Quoting Mr Dough Conant “ To win the marketplace, you must first win the workplace”