Designing leadership development initiatives: clarifying the why, who, what, how and when

This article will help HR and L&D professionals design leadership development initiatives that deliver a real return on investment.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Good leadership makes a significant impact on organizational success. And, as we have seen, poor leadership can launch organizations into turmoil and scandal. If the prevailing wisdom is that anyone can learn to be a better leader, then why is effective leadership lacking in many of our organizations? Many factors can work against your efforts to develop leadership. Some of these are outside of your control, but one is not: sound program design. Sadly, too many HR and L&D professionals use a hit and miss approach to leadership development instead of using a systematic process to design their programs. This article outlines five timeless principles – the why, who, what, how and when of program design.

The article offers practical, evidence‐based advice on how to go about the process of designing any leadership development initiative.

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that can have a broader social impact.

A practical summary of what has been learnt about what works and what doesn't in leadership development.