Let’s be honest. Most leadership training doesn’t work.
You sit through a workshop, maybe take some notes, and then… nothing changes.
That’s not because you’re not smart or motivated.
It’s because leadership isn’t something you hear about once. It’s something you practice over time.
Leaders don't need more training. They need development.
There's a difference.
- Training is an event.
- Development is a process.
And when you skip that process or rely on quick fixes like half-day workshops or eLearning modules, you pay for it. Not just in budget, but in turnover, performance, and team culture.
The hidden cost of skipping real leadership development.
Here’s what happens when leadership development is weak or nonexistent:
- Promising people get promoted but never really grow.
- Leaders stay stuck in old habits that slowly erode culture.
- Teams underperform because no one is actually leading.
- High performers leave because they’re not being developed.
- And middle managers burn out because they’re expected to lead without the tools to do it well.
According to Gallup, managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. If your leadership pipeline isn’t strong, everything downstream suffers.
And all of that has a real price tag.
Hiring replacements, fixing culture problems, losing key talent - it’s expensive. But more than that, it’s exhausting. You end up stuck in a cycle of “putting out fires” instead of building something that lasts.
So what actually works?
Real leadership development needs three things:
- Time to practice.
No one becomes a great leader from a workbook. They become one by trying, reflecting, adjusting - and doing it again.
- Coaching and feedback.
You can’t change something you don’t see. Leadership growth happens faster (and sticks longer) when someone helps you see your blind spots and stretch your skills.
- A structure that supports change.
That’s why Empowered Leader I & II are designed as long-form programs. Eight sessions each. Built to give leaders time to try new behaviors, reflect, mess up, and grow. Coaching is layered in to accelerate that growth even more.
Not sure where to start? Try this.
If you’re seeing leadership gaps on your team but you’re not ready (or able) to launch a full development program, start here:
- Have 1:1 conversations about leadership.
Ask your managers, “What part of leadership feels hardest right now?” and “Where do you wish you had more support?” Just asking these questions signals that development matters—and gives you insight into where to focus.
- Start a leadership reflection prompt.
Once a week, drop a simple question to your leaders:
- What did you learn about yourself this week?
- Where did you lead instead of manage, or vice versa?
- What’s one conversation you avoided?
- Model the development mindset yourself.
Share your own growth edges. Talk about what you're learning. Let people se that development isn't a sign of weakness, it's a normal, expected part of leading well.
This isn’t “check the box” training.
It’s real development—designed to transform how people show up as leaders and make it stick.
If you’re serious about growing your leaders, do it in a way that works.
Forget the half-day workshops that check the box but change nothing. Let’s build a strategy that develops real leadership across your organization.
Ready to start? Learn about how Empowered Leader I & II can work for you.