Forbes offers many resources for leadership, and employee, Drew Henson, recently offered his learning as a contributor. He confirms the importance of growing talent…and reports of the research that calls to leaders to make talent a strategic priority.

What’s needed is a deep-rooted conviction, among … leaders, that people really matter — that leaders must develop the capabilities of employees, nurture their careers, and manage the performance of individuals and teams.

Simply put, leaders are responsible for developing the talent in their organizations. Yet, while many acknowledge its importance, few deliver the coaching and training at scale to develop their people.

Recently, PDI Ninth House published its research on the ability of senior-level leaders to develop their employees. The study found that as leaders move up the organization, their ability to develop others decreased — even though they readily recognize its necessity at every level. In fact, the responsibility for coaching and developing talent persists while the expectations and context for leaders change. The research sheds light on a glaring gap in what everyone agrees is one of the most important competencies of leaders: their ability to build talent.

Cori Hill is the Director of High-Potential Leadership Development at PDI Ninth House and co-author of Developing Leaders and Organizations Through Action Learning. Her research offers that this disconnect is caused by a set of interrelated issues, including but not limited to:

1. Time. It’s scarce, and urgent tasks have a tendency to consume it. Leaders who aren’t disciplined in their priorities will be subject to daily crises that interfere with activities that are part of a long-term investment in people.
2. Focus on visible skills. As leaders rise to more senior positions, it’s natural to feel like they need to demonstrate strategic thinking, strong business acumen, and effective P&L management — noticeable skills that catch people’s attention. Building talent, on the other hand, is less obvious and has a long-term payoff.
3. Lack of development culture. One of the most interesting findings in the research is that even lower-level leaders who made talent development a priority start to slip when they enter the senior ranks. One-on-one coaching can be intrinsically fulfilling and, for that reason alone, leaders are more likely to set aside time for it. But senior executives make the biggest impact when they distinguish between individual coaching and organizational coaching. It’s the latter that lacks most. Call it the culture, or environment, of development that’s missing.

How are you wanting to avoid these traps? In the next segment, strategies will be offered for building the talent you have … starting now! What strategies are you already designing to grow the talent?

Forbes Leadership; 2011, Ben Hansen contributor http://onforb.es/1H7tf6y