Choosing The Right Leadership Development Training In 2025 And Beyond

Susan Hobson is the CEO & Founder of Elite High Performance, Top Leadership Mindset Coach, Host of Leadership Launchpad Project Podcast.
As the pace of change continues to accelerate at an unprecedented rate in modern business, effective leadership development training practices are crucial for organizational success. However, traditional 1.0 leadership training programs often fail to prepare leaders for modern challenges, including how to adapt during times of change. In contrast, high-performance leadership programs that cultivate the leadership 2.0 mindset are proving to be most effective.
What Is Leadership Development Training?
Leadership training involves structured programs designed to develop human-centric behaviors that help individuals lead teams effectively, inspire greatness in others and achieve the best business outcomes. However, there’s a significant difference between traditional 1.0 leadership training and modern approaches that focus on the development of the leadership 2.0 mindset.
What To Look For In A Leadership Development Training Program
With a plethora of leadership training options available, it is critical that you know what to strategically look for when choosing which option works best for your leadership development needs. Selecting the right avenue for your leadership development needs can help ensure you get the highest ROI possible for your business.
So what criteria should you consider when selecting the right leadership development program for your business/leadership teams?
• They should be focused on the human-centric approach to leadership (we call this leadership 2.0).
• They should be backed up by the best practices in neuroscience, data and research (proof and evidence as to why they are the best practices).
• They should focus on developing the leader’s mindset (mindset governs our thoughts/beliefs, emotions, decisions and behaviors, 95% being automatic each and every day) because leadership is a set of behaviors, and thus, development opportunities need to happen in this way to affect long-term sustainable behavior modification.
• They should include a hybrid of one-on-one coaching sessions, on-demand learning modules and group coaching sessions, as well as a toolbox of actionable strategies (this dynamic, integrated approach to leadership development ensures all learning styles/needs are adequately met).
• The learning should be spaced out over time (not squeezed into a weekend workshop, because it does not allow time for real-time implementation and integration of the learning).
• The leaders/coaches/trainers/facilitators of the training should be certified and have real-world experience utilizing these human-centric leadership behaviors themselves (the model carries the most weight, meaning the leader should be in integrity/alignment with what they are teaching).
How The Right Program Can Help The Individual And The Organization Make A Bigger Impact
Selecting the right leadership development and training opportunity for your business not only ensures maximum financial ROI, it also sets your leaders up to make a bigger, more sustained positive impact on your people (on their teams, your customers and even their families and communities at large).
Research by Gallup proves that employees want to work in purpose-driven ways now more than ever, so setting your leaders up to have maximum impact on their people and their communities can also drive greater levels of engagement, talent attraction, retention and optimization.
Gallup research also revealed that:
• A “10% improvement in employees’ connection with the mission or purpose of their organization leads to an 8.1% decrease in turnover and a 4.4% increase in profitability.”
• 70% of the variance in an employee’s engagement is tied to their manager’s ability to create a connection between the employee’s purpose and their work.
By empowering leaders to foster a strong sense of purpose within their teams, organizations can significantly boost employee engagement, reduce turnover and improve overall performance.
Conclusion
Leadership training is vital for developing leaders who can adapt and excel in today’s complex business environment. Traditional leadership programs often fall short, but high-performance programs like the leadership 2.0 mindset, which focuses on developing the leader’s emotional intelligence, adaptability and resilience, are far more effective.
With the rapid advancements driven by AI, investing in this modern approach to leadership has never been more critical. It is a key investment to ensure the long-term success, impact and sustainability of any organization.
If modern 2.0 leadership development isn’t a priority in your 2025 strategy, perhaps it’s time to reconsider your priorities, because it surely will be a key focus for your competition.
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