What Makes Leadership Development Programs Succeed?

Abstract

Leadership development is a massive industry. But do these programs actually pay off for the leaders who participate in them? Through a series of experiments, surveys, and analyses of data from more than a thousand participants in six different leadership development programs around the world, the authors determined that these initiatives can substantially boost personal growth and wellbeing — but only when implemented correctly. To address this gap, the authors share seven research-backed strategies to help program designers address common pitfalls and build experiences that actually drive real, positive, lasting impact.