One of the best gifts you can give your organization—and the people within it—is the opportunity to grow into leadership. In the mortgage industry, where change is constant and challenges are constant, strong leadership is not just a competitive advantage; it is the foundation that keeps teams strong and resilient. Imagine a culture where everyone not only does the job but steps up as a leader. That is the type of mortgage organization that is ready to navigate any challenge and take every opportunity that presents itself.
Creating an effective leadership training program not only benefits your organization’s bottom line; it empowers your people, inspires loyalty, and creates a sense of purpose. Here’s a simple guide to creating a program that builds leaders from within—one that not only supports your team’s growth but helps them unlock their potential and lead with confidence.
Step 1: Define your vision of leadership
Every journey begins with a clear mind, and coaching leaders are no different. To create a truly effective leadership program, you need to be clear about the qualities you want to see in your leaders. Ask yourself, “What skills, values, and mindset do we need in our leaders to achieve our company’s mission?”
In loans, leaders often need a unique combination of technical knowledge and personal insight. Start by identifying the qualities most relevant to your team’s success. Maybe tenacity, motivational ability, strong communication skills, or strategic thinking. Once you are clear about what you want, use this as your “North Star” to build your training curriculum.
Step 2: Develop a balanced curriculum
When it comes to building leaders, balance is everything. Your program should provide a foundation of technical skills but also help participants develop the soft skills they need to effectively mentor others.
Here are some key areas you can get involved in:
- Mortgage essentials: Make sure everyone has a solid understanding of the basics of the real estate industry. Even as they move into leadership, the deep stability of the industry’s fundamentals gives them the confidence to make decisions and guide others effectively.
- Communication and emotional intelligence: Leadership is 80% people skills. Train in active listening, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence so that leaders can build authentic relationships and foster trust in their teams.
- Strategic thinking and decision making: Give training leaders the tools to think big, see the big picture, and respond to challenges with confidence and creativity.
- Agility and change management: The mortgage industry is strong. Leaders must be prepared to guide their teams through shifts and challenges with compassion and strength.
Consider delivering the curriculum through a combination of learning styles—workshops, role-playing exercises, case studies, and real-life situation training. This diversity keeps learning fresh, relevant, and applicable to their daily lives.
Step 3: Introduce teaching to accelerate learning
Nothing teaches better than experience, and teaching is one of the most powerful ways to pass it on. By pairing emerging leaders with mentors who have walked the path, you give them insight, guidance, and a safe place to ask questions. It is a hands-on learning experience that cannot be replicated in a classroom setting.
Formalize a mentoring program that brings together emerging leaders and mentors from different areas of your business. This not only broadens their perspective, but also gives them real experience navigating various situations, from managing clients to managing internal processes.
Step 4: Offer opportunities to lead
One of the most important parts of any leadership training is to allow emerging leaders to get into the driver’s seat. Assign them real-world projects that challenge them to lead, make decisions, and bring out the best in their teammates. This could be a departmental initiative, a customer-facing project, or an internal process improvement—anything that expands their capabilities and gives them an opportunity to make an impact.
These projects are not just practice; they are the evidence base where leaders develop the confidence to move from learning to leading. When people feel the weight of responsibility in a real-world situation, they grow faster, learn deeper, and gain insights that they can get by “doing.” Be sure to monitor their progress and provide support along the way, as these practical experiences often come with their own challenges and learning curves.
Step 5: Foster a culture of continuous feedback
The answer is the breakfast of champions. To keep your leadership training program effective, create a feedback culture where both mentors and mentees can share their experiences, celebrate their wins, and identify areas for growth. Provide regular feedback sessions where leaders in training can reflect on their progress, celebrate successes, and identify areas for improvement.
Additionally, incorporate 360-degree feedback tools to give leaders a holistic view of their strengths and areas for improvement. Positive feedback helps make growth a continuous process and teaches leaders that their development is “never-ending”—there’s always room to learn, adapt, and get better.
Step 6: Celebrate leadership growth
In all organizations, recognizing people’s progress is one of the best ways to keep them engaged and motivated. Publicly celebrate your team members completing each phase of the training program. This recognition not only rewards hard work; it inspires others and reinforces the idea that growth is something your organization deeply values.
Consider offering leadership certificates, announcing achievements at company meetings, or offering career development opportunities to those who have demonstrated exceptional growth. Acknowledging their progress creates a sense of pride and motivates your entire team to engage in their self-improvement journey.
Negative impact of leadership training
Creating a leadership training program is not just about filling positions; it’s about investing in the future of your organization and creating an impact that will impact every corner of your business. When you develop leaders from within, you’re not just building a strong team—you’re building a culture where growth, resilience, and vision are built into the very essence of your organization.
With a solid plan in place, your leaders will feel empowered, your team will feel valued, and your business will be ready to thrive no matter what challenges come your way. Embrace the opportunity to grow leaders from within, and watch as your organization becomes stronger, more flexible, and more successful—one leader at a time.
Ginger Bell is an award-winning speaker, 15-time best-selling author, and expert in leadership development and coaching.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire’s editorial department and its owners.
To contact the editor responsible for this piece: [email protected]
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