Is your Leadership Development Program Really Working?

Did you know that managers can impact staff mental health even more than a doctor or therapist, and about as much as their spouse or partner does?

Research from UKG Workforce Institute found robust evidence to support this. That’s a significant responsibility sitting with frontline and senior leaders alike. Given this level of impact, it makes sense to ensure your leaders are set up for success.

Why are leadership development programs important?

Leadership development programs , when done right, can help leaders at all career stages build and refine key skills for success when navigating today’s increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world of work.

In turn, when leaders have the skills and capabilities required to effectively lead, positive flow-on effects tend to take place within their teams, such as enhanced wellbeing, psychological safety, performance, and engagement.

“Leadership development programs help leaders build the skills, confidence, and self-awareness needed to support their teams effectively, while also improving workplace culture, engagement, learning, and overall organisational outcomes,” says David Simich, Senior Organisational Consultant at PeopleSense: Psychology & Wellbeing by Altius.

Many leaders recognise the importance of skills like emotional intelligence, decision-making, and communication. Yet they’re rarely given evidence-based, best-practice training to build their leadership capability.

Where do leadership development programs commonly fall short?

Not all leadership development programs are equally effective. In many organisations, challenges tend to arise due to poor design and follow-through.

A few patterns tend to show up:

1. Not addressing resistance to reflection, change, or feedback

   Workplaces that don’t have a strong feedback culture or tend to avoid accountability are less likely to maintain sustainable change through leadership development programs.

   These organisations may need to first build a growth mindset culture, where healthy self-reflection and psychologically safe feedback processes are embedded consistently before launching leadership programs.

2. Not tailoring programs

   It is common for organisations to implement generic programs without considering the unique needs of their leaders. For example, leaders in healthcare operate in very different environments compared to those in mining or financial services.

3. Lack of proper follow-up and poor program design

   One-off workshops may not lead to sustained behaviour change due to the lack of structured follow-up.

   For example, a leader may feel confident after training on difficult conversations but avoid applying it later under pressure without ongoing support.

Challenges of leadership development

Even with the right intent, organisations often need to balance competing priorities. Time, budget constraints, and operational pressures can push leadership development down the list.

There’s also the challenge of measuring impact. Evaluation processes can be inconsistent, making it difficult to assess improvements in leadership performance.

For example:

• Incorporating longer-term follow-up (e.g., 3–6 months post-program)
• Triangulating multiple data sources
• Comparing outcomes to baseline measures

Establishing structured feedback processes when designing leadership development programs can help highlight ROI.

Why do leaders struggle to apply training on the job?

A frequent challenge in workplace leadership training is transfer—taking what’s learned and applying it in day-to-day situations.

Common barriers include:

• Competing priorities and time pressure
• Lack of confidence in applying new skills
• Limited opportunity to practice in a safe environment
• Organisational norms that don’t reinforce new behaviours

For instance, a leader might understand active listening but revert to directive communication during high-pressure moments.

How do coaching and learning work better together?

This is where leadership coaching programs play an important role.

Combining workshops with individual coaching helps leaders apply and embed what they learn.

Through coaching, leaders can:

• Reflect on real workplace scenarios
• Test new approaches in a supported environment
• Receive targeted, practical feedback
• Build accountability over time

"Workshops build leadership knowledge and shared understanding, while coaching helps leaders apply it to real workplace challenges," notes Simich.

Altius leadership development program

At Altius, leadership development programs are designed with practical application in mind.

Key features include:

• Tailored program design for your organisation and leadership cohort
• Clear, consistent feedback processes for tracking value and ROI
• Integrated workshops and coaching for real-time skill application
• Reduced resourcing burden through expert-led program delivery
• Evidence-based frameworks leaders can apply immediately

The focus is on helping leaders build and apply skills that support both performance and workplace wellbeing.

If strengthening leadership capability is a priority, a practical next step is to review how your current approach supports both learning and application. Contact the Altius Organisational Services Team for support.