Beyond the Promotion: Rethinking Employee Development That Actually Builds Leaders
When we talk about developing our people, it’s easy to default to the obvious. Send them to a course, give them more responsibility, maybe assign a mentor. But the truth is, effective employee development is rarely one-size-fits-all.
If we want to create leaders at every level, we need to think more broadly. That starts with shifting our mindset. Development is not about preparing someone for their next title. It is about creating the conditions for them to grow in skill, confidence, and impact right where they are.
In my work with senior executives, I often hear a version of this question: "If I can’t offer an immediate promotion or pay for a course, how do I keep my team engaged?"
The answer is not always about offering more. It is about offering the right mix of challenge, visibility, support, and stretch.
Let’s explore a few proven approaches that go beyond (or in addition to) traditional training.
Stretch Projects: Growth Through Discomfort
One of the most effective development tools is also the simplest. Assigning someone a stretch project is an opportunity for them to operate outside their comfort zone in a real-world context.
Stretch projects can look like:
Leading a cross-functional team for the first time
Owning a new client relationship
Spearheading an internal initiative with high visibility
These assignments signal trust. They say, “I believe you can handle more.” More importantly, they offer a chance for the employee to prove to themselves what they are capable of. The key is to offer support without stepping in too quickly. Ask their opinion, let them make decisions, and introduce them to subject matter experts. Let them wrestle with the challenge. Then, debrief and reflect together on what they learned and where they would approach things differently next time. As a leader, think of yourself as a guide or a safety net, allowing your team to take risks and helping them think more strategically.
Cross-Team Collaboration: Exposure Builds Empathy
So often, silos limit not just operations but also individual growth. Encouraging employees to partner across departments broadens their perspective, enhances communication skills, and builds a deeper understanding of how the business really works.
This type of development:
Strengthens peer relationships
Helps employees see the downstream effects of their decisions
Creates a more connected and mission-aligned workforce
Give someone a short-term assignment on another team. Invite them to co-lead a task force with a peer from a different function. Ask them to represent your team in a broader strategic meeting. These small experiences accumulate. They create employees who are not just competent, but collaborative and trusted.
This is also a secret that may unlock their next promotion. By expanding their list of champions across the organization, there will be more supporters cheering on their growth and expansion of responsibility. Also, in taking on larger roles having that knowledge of the broader organization will inform and strengthen their decision making abilities.
In my personal experience, after becoming a General Manager and directly leading IT, HR, Operations, and Finance - all outside my area of expertise - I became a more inclusive leader. Then, later in my career as a Chief Commercial Officer, it was much easier to partner with my C-Suite peers because I intimately understood their challenges alongside my own. Making it easier to find win/win solutions.
Courses: Make Learning Actionable
Yes, formal learning still matters. But not all courses are created equal. Sending someone to a three-day workshop with no follow-up rarely changes behavior. The key is to connect the learning to a real goal and ensure there is space for reflection and application.
When recommending a course, consider:
Is it directly tied to a current challenge or future opportunity?
Will the employee have a chance to apply the material within 30 days?
How will they share what they’ve learned with the team or leadership?
Even better, set a time on your calendar to talk about their takeaways. Ask what surprised them? What challenged them? What do they want to try differently as a result? The learning sticks when it is part of a conversation, not just a certificate.Application and application quickly, within days of completion is critical to see the ROI from the investment for both you and your team member.
Coaching: Space to Grow with Intention
Sometimes, what an employee needs is not a course or a project. It is a space to think, to unpack, to grow in self-awareness. Coaching offers this space.
Executive coaching is often reserved for senior leaders, but it can be incredibly effective for mid-level managers as well. It is not just about performance. It is about alignment. Coaching can help someone:
Build confidence as they step into a bigger role
Navigate team dynamics with more intention
Clarify their leadership style and where they want to grow
You do not have to hire an external coach. Your organization may want to begin with a scheduling team offsite, blocking a ½ day without meetings, asking a question for reflection at the start of a team meeting, or assigning a mentor - all are great starting points. What matters is that time is set aside where the individual feels seen, supported, and stretched.
Development That Actually Develops
True employee development is not a checklist. It is an evolving conversation. It is a series of intentional decisions made with both the organization’s goals and the individual’s potential in mind.
As leaders, our role is to create environments where people can stretch, experiment, collaborate, and reflect. When we stop seeing development as something extra and start seeing it as part of the way we lead every day, we build teams that are more engaged, more capable, and more prepared to lead.
Let’s stop thinking of development as a reward for high performers and start thinking of it as a responsibility to everyone we lead.
Your future leaders are already on your team. The question is, are you giving them room to grow?
To build a development plan for you or your team, let’s talk. Schedule a consultation where I can learn more about your unique situation. https://calendly.com/promoteleaders/follow-up-with-keli