Making Leadership Development Stick
Leadership development is often framed as an investment in the future of your organisation. Done right, it fosters innovation, nurtures top talent, and lays the foundation for long-term success. But with training budgets often under scrutiny, organisations need to ensure they’re getting real value for their investment. The key lies in targeted, well-planned leadership development that drives real outcomes.
Here’s a blueprint to help you maximise every dollar spent on leadership growth.
Define the Type of Development
Leadership development isn’t one-size-fits-all. It ranges from self-led approaches like reading a book to structured learning models guided by others, either face-to-face or online. Before making any decisions, ask yourself:
- What’s the most efficient format for our team? For instance, will we gain more impact from one person completing one programme or we will benefit from building a tribe of people with the same new knowledge?
- How do our leaders learn best? Some individuals thrive on 1-on-1 coaching, while others may prefer collaborative group settings.
- What works best for our organisational culture? Consider what has resonated in the past and how to align it with your strategic goals.
Choosing the right learning format ensures employees gain the skills they need in a way that resonates with them.
Leadership training is most effective when participants are fully engaged.
Before starting any development initiative:
- Evaluate individual workloads and free up time if necessary.
- Communicate commitments clearly to ensure participants are prepared for the process.
Setting the right conditions prevents frustration and ensures leaders can fully capitalise on the programme.
The NZIM Five-Step Framework for Leadership Development
Our framework outlines a practical five-step process to guide leadership training. This framework provides clarity and direction to ensure development efforts deliver measurable outcomes.
1. Define Why You Are Investing in Leadership Training
A successful investment begins with identifying your “why.” Ask:
- What specific skills or qualities do we want to cultivate?
- What organisational goals will this development support?
For example, are you looking to nurture resilience in leaders to adapt to market shifts, or are you sharpening practical skills to meet immediate objectives?
2. Identify Who Will Benefit from the Training
Prioritise who will most benefit based on:
- Current skill gaps
- Personal leadership aspiration
- Workload and demands on teams and leaders.
Focusing on the right individuals ensures your development dollars go where they’ll achieve the most impact.
3. Prepare, Engage, and Apply
Preparation and engagement are critical to success. Make sure:
- Learners understand what to expect from the programme and its relevance.
- Managers and mentors are involved in supporting participants.
- There’s a clear plan for applying the training in real-world settings, so it doesn’t end as theoretical knowledge.
For instance, if the course covers conflict resolution, align learning with specific workplace challenges to ensure immediate application.
4. Transfer Back to Work
What happens after the training is as important as the programme itself. Without a deliberate transfer strategy, the knowledge gained risks being forgotten. Develop:
- Follow-up action plans where learners implement strategies from the programme.
- Peer or mentor-support systems to encourage accountability.
- Regular check-ins to measure and refine progress.
Practical application locks in the value of learning and ensures it drives sustainable behavioural changes.
5. Measure Success
Every investment needs to be measured for effectiveness. Develop metrics that focus on:
- Are leaders exhibiting positive changes in how they think, act, or influence their teams?
- Has the training resulted in increased efficiency, better decision-making, or higher team performance?
Tools like KPIs, feedback surveys, and 360-degree reviews can provide insights into whether your leadership training has delivered on its promise.
Get the Most Out of Every Dollar
When it comes to leadership development, a scattershot approach rarely works. A thoughtful, structured strategy, combined with realistic investment in both time and effort, will ensure your leadership training delivers meaningful results.
By defining the right type of development for your team, preparing for its implementation, and focusing on practical application, you can transform leadership training into a game-changing growth tool for your entire organisation.
Are you ready to take your leadership to the next level? Start implementing these steps today and watch your investment pay off in empowered leaders and a thriving team.
Contact Lea Hart, lea@nzim.co.nz to explore a $600 investment and our trial Corporate Subscription.