Way back in January 2014, in an issue of McKinsey Quarterly, a group of researchers attempted to answer this question:
“Why do so many leadership development programs fail?”
They summarized their finding into the four main issues that led to a lack of results in most leadership development programs.
Here is a short synopsis of those four reasons they identified:
1. Many leadership development programs do not adequately account for the specific situation or context that their leaders are working within. Most trainers or leadership program facilitators are unaware of how different leadership styles and initiatives might be affected by different contexts or works environments.
2. Many leadership development trainings focus primarily on reflection exercises rather than changing the leader behaviors. Reflection that is not translated into new and consistent action is a recipe for failure if the goal is helping people to learn a new skill. Concepts and theories are important, but without teaching and implementing new behaviors there is no growth or development of skills.
3. Many leadership programs do not account adequately for the importance of mindset and the psychology of the leaders they are developing. Every individual works in a culture of behaviors – which are based on the assumptions and beliefs of its members. But many leadership development programs fail to appreciate the impact of those assumptions and the interpersonal psychology or mindset that has shaped the organizational culture and the leader him or herself.
4. Many leadership development trainings do not accurately define or describe what leadership is – and without a clear definition of your goal, it is impossible to effectively improve or measure. Without clarity regarding what you want to develop, you can’t measure the behaviors and the outcomes you are seeking. It is therefore difficult to hold leaders (or trainers) responsible for any metric of success. This leads back to the issue from point two, that many programs focus on teaching concepts and philosophy without application.
These four reasons are a quick summary of McKinsey’s explanation for why many leadership development efforts are unsuccessful.
And the reasons above are admittedly all valid:
1. lack of appreciation for context
2. lack of emphasis on action
3. lack of attention to assumptions
4. lack of clarity about outcomes
.
And the McKinsey article has been validated by other research…
Another study found that approximately 34% of leadership training programs do not achieve their intended outcomes (Avolio, Reichard, Hannah, Walumbwa, & Chan, 2009).
And to further support the above findings, effective leadership training rwas found to requires not only passive learning, but changes in leadership behaviors (Kirkpatrick, 1994; Nielsen, Randall, & Christensen, 2017).
The process of becoming an EFFECTIVE LEADER addresses each of those issues.
So let’s work backwards…
If leadership is “the influence that our example and interactions have on others,” then that clarity is what should drive your development training.
And for your leaders to provide a more positive example – and to have more meaningful interactions – they must first be AWARE of the beliefs that are driving their behaviors.
Yes, new behaviors are required to make progress – and ACTION should be emphasized as the ultimate outcome of any training or customized team workshop. But your actions only improve when you follow the EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP PROCESS of mindfully acknowledging your current level of awareness.
Awareness is what drives our beliefs…
And beliefs are what determine our behaviors.
The questions and activities that are part of the EFFECTIE LEADER development program teach your people to take ownership of the results they are getting – and to take action based on their specific situation and work environment.
EVERY leader can improve, regardless of the amount of experience they have.
One way is with the awareness that comes from a corporate team building event.
And enjoying the profitability and positive outcomes of an exceptional workplace culture does not happen randomly.
Exceptional cultures are built intentionally by effective leaders.
Effective leaders are those that have learned how to increase their awareness, and adopt more successful beliefs, so they have improved interactions with their teams and affect positive change and growth through others.
The fact that many leadership development programs fail is not a reason to abandon your attempts to grow your people into better leaders.
You simply need to invest in a process that is more EFFECTIVE!
Interested in improving your culture, and growing your leaders?
If you want to build an exceptional culture, you must begin by objectively reflecting on your current situation. I have put together a 3-5 minute long organizational culture survey assessment for you to do exactly that –
And it is will provide you a FREE snapshot of how healthy your current environment is… where your strengths are… and where your leaders might need to improve.
