Does Leadership Development Actually Work?

(A brutal, honest, hopeful take on why it often doesn’t — but really can!)

Let’s start with the BS.

You approach a company and say, “We need a leadership development programme.” You might throw in a few vague ideas about “resilience” or “people skills” or “getting our managers to step up a bit.” But you don’t give them any real-world examples. You don’t invite them into the business to observe what's actually going on. You want credentials, fair, but don’t offer any insight into your own culture, the real issues, or what’s been tried before. You want gold-standard outcomes from a tin-foil brief.

Now you’ve found a provider, you say: “We just want a one-and-done.” Ok. But how are you expecting any of this to stick? What are you actually investing in, a box-tick or a transformation?

And then there's the classic: “We want our managers and teams to change… but leadership won’t be taking part.” Really? The irony writes itself. Because here’s the thing: leadership development doesn’t work if leaders don’t develop.

How many leaders do you know who’ve genuinely committed to their own growth? Not just reading an article every so often, but working with an executive coach, seeking feedback regularly, reflecting on their blind spots, actively trying to show up differently in difficult moments? Leadership starts with self-awareness. And if the top of the organisation isn’t modelling that — why on earth would the rest of it follow?

The Data Doesn’t Lie — But People Often Don’t Look at It

Leadership development is a £366 billion industry globally. But how much of that investment actually translates into impact? Research from McKinsey has shown that only 10% of leadership programmes deliver tangible results. And that’s often because no one sets up a way to measure success before the programme starts.

Think about it — how often does a business say:

• “What’s our current leadership reality?”
• “Where do we want to be in 6, 12, 18 months?”
• “And how will we know we’re getting there?”

If you’re not setting those markers, you’re not doing development — you’re doing theatre.

Another stat worth chewing on… companies with strong leadership cultures are 13 times more likely to outperform their competition. So yes — good leadership changes everything. But only if you build it with intention, time and rigour. You can’t microwave this stuff. You can’t buy it off the shelf and expect it to magically fix broken culture or lagging performance. It has to be made-to-measure and deeply embedded.

And the case studies? Just look at Microsoft’s cultural overhaul under Satya Nadella. It wasn’t a rebrand — it was a leadership reinvention. From “know-it-all” to “learn-it-all.” From command-and-control to curiosity and collaboration. That didn’t happen in a two-day away day. It happened through clarity, humility and long-term investment in leadership growth.

So… Why Do So Many Organisations Get It Wrong?

Let’s be generous. Most organisations want to do the right thing. They’re just under pressure, or under-informed, or stuck in old ways of thinking. But let’s unpack some of the biggest barriers that come up again and again.

1. Budgets

We get it. Times are tight. You’ve got customers to serve, products to launch, targets to hit. Leadership development can feel like a “nice to have.” But here’s the challenge: when leadership is poor, everything is harder. Collaboration breaks down. Creativity drops. Engagement dies.

If your sales team are miserable, your engineers are quiet quitting, and your comms team are locked in a cycle of “polish the turd,” then maybe — just maybe — it’s time to look at leadership. It’s the lever that moves everything else.

So yes, investing in leadership might take money away from short-term priorities. But in the long run, it pays back in spades, in retention, innovation, culture, and performance.

2. Time

Ah, time. The infinite problem… “We don’t have time for development.” “We need a quick fix.” “Can you just do a 90-minute session on ‘difficult conversations’?” Sure. But don’t expect miracles.

The most dangerous trap is reactive development, where you’ve seen poor behaviour, so you book in a training course. But have you asked why the behaviour is happening? Is it stress? Burnout? Role confusion? Cultural silence? No training can fix a system that’s broken underneath.

3. Emotional Ignorance

Here’s a spicy one. You’ve got a board who genuinely think things are fine. You’ve got a culture of artificial harmony, the top thinks everyone’s happy, and the bottom is crying into their Teams chat. No one’s saying the hard stuff because psychological safety doesn’t exist.

If you’ve ever worked in a business like this, you’ll know the vibe: people nod politely, then vent at the metaphorical water coolers. There’s a one-way mirror where senior leaders think they’re being transparent, but no one’s really listening or engaging.

This is often where ego shows up. Leaders say they want feedback, but don’t actually want to hear it. Or they confuse seniority with self-awareness. This is why emotional intelligence is just as important as strategic acumen. Without it, leadership development is like trying to plant seeds in concrete. 

4.      Readiness

And finally, very simply… leadership development isn’t always the first thing you should do.

Let’s say your organisation is riddled with tension, resentment, or apathy. If you try to slap a leadership course on top of that, you’re putting icing on a cake that’s still raw in the middle. Development only works when the soil is ready. If the ground is too scorched, you need to do some cultural groundwork first.

Work with your internal L&D teams. Bring in a consultant who’s not afraid to tell you the truth. Map out the whole journey, not just the sexy bit.

By now, you might be thinking:

Here’s why: because when you do it right, it’s transformative. 

Leadership development done well changes organisations. It builds trust, resilience, creativity and momentum. But only if you treat it like a strategy, not a side project.

So, how do you do it right?

Before Learning: Build the Foundation

• Purpose: What’s the point? Define the need at business level and at personal level. Without clarity, it’s just fluff.
• Executive Buy-In: If leaders aren’t on board, the rest of the business won’t be. This isn’t a “sign-off” — it’s a sponsorship.
• Contracting with Learners: Set expectations. Make it feel like CPD, not a chore. Respect their expertise and invite their engagement.
• Baseline Measures: Don’t wait to evaluate after the fact. Start now. Define current behaviours, pain points, and success metrics.

During Learning: Make It Real

Mine for insight

Integrate with current work

Lookback with reflection

Keep knowledge active

• Blend the Learning: Don’t stop at workshops. Embed with coaching, shadowing, feedback loops, real-life application.
• Keep It Snappy: Short, focused bursts beat day-long marathons. Protect energy and increase impact.
• Manager Reinforcement: Train the ecosystem, not just the individual. Managers are multipliers.

After Learning: Measure What Matters

Using Kirkpatrick’s Model of Evaluation:

1. Reaction – Did they find it relevant?
2. Learning – Did they actually absorb anything?
3. Behaviour – Are they doing anything differently?
4. Results – Is the business better for it? 

Feedback needs to be more than “Did you enjoy it?” It should measure change. Look for ripple effects — collaboration, morale, strategy. That’s your ROI.

Let’s Talk Delivery — It’s Not Always a Course

People often default to “we need a course” because they’re stressed, stuck, or watching their team struggle. And that’s okay, you’re human. But courses aren’t always the answer.

My biggest plea? Don’t just Google “leadership training” and pick the cheapest with a slick video.

Instead, have a conversation. Be honest about what’s going on. Tell your consultant the good, the bad, the “we’ve tried this before and it bombed.” And please be transparent about your budget. I’m not here to fleece you. I’m here to help you use whatever resources you have to make a difference. If I quote you and you ghost me because you thought I’d charge £50 for a three-month intervention… we’ve both wasted our time.

In Summary

Leadership development is hard. It takes time. It costs money. It needs commitment.

But it also creates incredible results when it’s done right. Cultures shift. People grow. Teams gel. Performance rises.

So, if you’re serious about making work better for your people, your leaders, your business, then invest in development with the same thought, rigour and care you put into any other critical system in your business.

Because good leadership isn’t a luxury. It’s a lever. Pull it wisely.