Leadership development isn’t just a cost center. It’s a strategic lever for performance, retention, and culture—if it’s done right.
Every year, organizations spend over $60 billion on leadership development. And yet, most of it fails to create real change in the workplace. In some cases, it even causes harm.
It’s time to rethink how leadership development is defined, designed, and delivered. At Leaders Rising Network, our approach is built around one powerful idea: transformation over transaction.
This article unpacks the latest research, reveals why most programs miss the mark, and outlines how our strategy turns leadership investment into measurable impact—for individuals, teams, and the entire organization.
Why Most Leadership Programs Fail
Despite the best intentions, leadership programs often underdeliver. Some studies show only 5 percent of participants apply what they learned back at work. The cost isn’t just financial—it affects culture, trust, and team performance.
The problem? Most programs ignore the system leaders operate within. They focus on content over context. The individual over the environment. Information over integration.
According to Dr. Jaason Geerts’ Optimizing System Framework, what’s missing is a comprehensive strategy that addresses the before, during, and after of a leadership initiative, and accounts for the cultural systems that surround it.
What Actually Works: The Optimizing System
Dr. Geerts’ framework is grounded in four literature reviews and over 170 empirical studies. It identifies 65 research-backed strategies across five areas: foundational elements, pre-program diagnostics, in-program design, post-program follow-up, and long-term cultural integration.
Key principles that drive ROI:
- Co-created, contextualized design: Leadership development must be aligned with real organizational strategy and needs.
- Embedded application: Learning transfer needs to be built into the experience, not left to chance.
- Cultural readiness: The organizational environment must support the behaviors being developed.
- Measurement and feedback: Clear evaluation at the individual, team, and enterprise level is essential.
These are the same principles we have applied for years at Leaders Rising Network. The research confirms what we see every day.
The Leaders Rising Network Approach: Building Bigger Futures and Thriving Cultures
We believe your organization’s future is in your people. That’s why our work is not about delivering content. It’s about co-creating scalable, sustainable leadership ecosystems that fit your unique context.
1. We Start with the People Development GPS
Every engagement begins with our People Development GPS—a diagnostic designed to uncover:
- Real goals, not surface-level symptoms
- Root causes of underperformance
- Barriers to execution
- Measures of success
- Current systems and gaps
This is not a pitch. It’s a discovery. It ensures we are solving the real problem—not applying a generic solution.
2. We Design for Transfer and Integration
Aligned with the research, our programs embed application strategies from the start. That includes:
- Personalized Leadership Development Plans
- Real-time projects that require practicing new leadership behaviors
- Structured accountability through CORE Groups and 1:1 coaching
We also align the system itself, securing executive sponsorship, protected time, and a culture that makes learning safe and sticky.
3. We Use Proven Tools, Pathways, and Platforms
Leaders Rising Network uses GiANT’s 60+ visual tools that act as mirrors and lenses—helping leaders quickly understand themselves and others. Our Next Level Leaders and Next Level Teams pathways combine high-touch coaching with high-tech platforms that are:
- Modular and flexible
- Grounded in adult learning principles
- Designed for relational and cultural impact
This hybrid model drives transformation across IQ, EQ, and PQ—intelligence, emotional intelligence, and personality intelligence.
What Organizations Get Wrong—and How We Help Them Get It Right
Most leadership development misses the mark. Here’s what usually goes wrong—and how we do it differently:
- ❌ One-and-done training
✅ Our solution: Sustainable pathways with monthly CORE groups, regular check-ins, and ROI tracking - ❌ Training not tied to strategic goals
✅ Our solution: GPS-driven discovery that links leadership to business outcomes - ❌ Lack of support from senior leaders
✅ Our solution: Executive alignment from the beginning. Leaders sponsor and participate. - ❌ No accountability system
✅ Our solution: 360 feedback, embedded coaching, and ongoing feedback loops - ❌ No way to measure ROI
✅ Our solution: Pre and post team performance assessments, pulse surveys, and impact metrics
Real Results: What Transformation Looks Like
One growth-stage client came to us with leadership bottlenecks, cultural misalignment, and high turnover. After completing a People Development GPS and launching a Next Level Teams engagement, they reported:
- Increased psychological safety and team trust
- 30 percent reduction in turnover within 12 months
- Improved decision-making speed
- Greater clarity in role delegation and leadership confidence
These outcomes didn’t happen by accident. They were built by design—and followed through with consistency.
You Deserve More Than a Training Program
Leadership development should never be a checkbox. It should be a strategic advantage—fueling your culture, capability, and growth.
The research is clear. You need more than content. You need a system that integrates leadership development into the fabric of your organization.
At Leaders Rising Network, we bring that system to life through diagnostic clarity, high-impact design, and embedded support that sticks.
💬 Let’s Talk About Your Leadership Strategy
If you’re ready to build something that lasts, let’s talk. We’ll help you design a people development system that delivers the leaders, culture, and performance your future demands.
