Leadership development is a strategic investment aimed at cultivating leaders who can navigate today’s complex business challenges and drive long-term success. Yet, despite significant investments in training, many organisations find that their programmes do not produce lasting impact or meaningful behaviour change. Leaders often report feeling “too busy” or that their “team is too lean,” making it difficult to fully engage with the training. Others resort to “just joining the online version” to balance their workload, and some question the relevance of the training, believing it “didn’t directly impact their work.” These scenarios highlight the challenge of the ‘Forgetting Curve’—a steep decline in retention and application of new skills.
The job to be done is clear: designing leadership programmes that deliver long-term impact and embed lasting behaviour change. This requires a strategic approach that addresses the ‘Forgetting Curve’ and ensures that leadership training is not just a tick-box exercise but a transformative experience that aligns with the business’s objectives.
The ‘Forgetting Curve’: A Persistent Challenge
The ‘Forgetting Curve’, introduced by psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, illustrates how quickly information can fade from memory without proper reinforcement. In the context of leadership development, this concept translates into a significant challenge: how can we ensure that the skills and knowledge imparted to our leaders are retained and applied effectively in their roles?
Organisations need to focus on designing programmes that are not only comprehensive and engaging but also structured to promote continuous learning and application. This involves incorporating real-world scenarios, feedback mechanisms, and ongoing support to ensure that learning translates into meaningful action and behaviour change.
Programmes Designed for Long-Term Impact and Behaviour Change
To design programmes that deliver long-term impact and behaviour change, it is essential to focus on developing skills that are not only vital for individual leaders but also for the organisation’s success. These skills include trust, innovation, empathy, and critical thinking.
1. Building Trust Through Transparent Communication
Trust is the foundation of effective leadership. Leaders who foster trust within their teams create an environment where employees feel valued and are empowered to contribute their best. To build trust, leaders must practice transparent communication, actively listen to their team members, and cultivate a culture of openness and honesty.
Leadership programmes should focus on equipping leaders with the skills to communicate effectively, manage conflicts, and build strong, trusting relationships with their teams. Through role-playing exercises, real-world scenarios, and feedback mechanisms, leaders can reinforce these skills and make them an integral part of their leadership style.
2. Fostering Innovation by Encouraging Risk-Taking
Innovation is the lifeblood of any successful organisation. Leaders need to foster a culture of innovation where employees are encouraged to think creatively and take calculated risks. This involves shifting the mindset from fearing failure to embracing experimentation and learning from mistakes.
Leadership development programmes should include modules on creative problem-solving, design thinking, and agile methodologies. These programmes should provide leaders with the tools and frameworks to assess risks, make informed decisions, and inspire their teams to push the boundaries of what is possible.
3. Cultivating Empathy to Enhance Team Dynamics
Empathy is a critical skill for leaders, particularly in today’s diverse and dynamic work environments. Leaders who demonstrate empathy can better understand their team members’ perspectives, needs, and challenges, leading to more effective collaboration and team dynamics.
To cultivate empathy, leadership programmes should incorporate activities that encourage leaders to step into their team members’ shoes, understand their experiences, and respond to their needs with compassion and support. Interactive workshops, coaching sessions, and experiential learning opportunities can help leaders practice empathy in real-world scenarios.
4. Enhancing Critical Thinking for Strategic Decision-Making
Critical thinking is essential for leaders to navigate complex challenges and make strategic decisions that align with the organisation’s goals. Leaders must be able to analyse information, evaluate options, and anticipate potential outcomes to make informed decisions that drive the organisation forward.
Leadership programmes should focus on developing leaders’ critical thinking skills through case studies, simulations, and scenario planning exercises. These activities should challenge leaders to think critically, question assumptions, and consider multiple perspectives when making decisions.
Gaining Buy-In and Recognition from Leadership
For a leadership programme to be successful, it is crucial to gain buy-in and recognition from the organisation’s leadership. This involves demonstrating the value of the programme and how it aligns with the organisation’s objectives. By highlighting the impact of leadership development on the organisation’s success, L&D professionals can secure the necessary support and resources to deliver an effective programme.
Delivering a Successful Leadership Programme
To deliver a successful leadership programme, L&D professionals must take a strategic approach that aligns the programme’s objectives with the organisation’s goals. This involves designing a programme that is relevant, engaging, and tailored to the needs of the workforce. By incorporating the strategies outlined above, L&D professionals can design and deliver a leadership programme that effectively upskills leaders and prepares them to meet the challenges of today’s business environment.
Conclusion
As we look to the future, the importance of overcoming the ‘Forgetting Curve’ and embedding lasting leadership behaviours cannot be overstated. By focusing on trust, innovation, empathy, and critical thinking, we can equip our leaders with the skills they need to lead their teams effectively and drive the organisation towards its goals. As a global leadership and transformation organisation, we are committed to supporting our clients in their journey towards building a strong, capable, and resilient leadership team.
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Cognitive Union is a progressive, boutique learning and performance consultancy. We work with forward-thinking businesses. Transforming their people. Shaping their culture. Helping them embrace change and take on the world. Find this blog useful? Sign up to our email newsletter (bottom of this page) where you can receive articles like this and other insights (not publically published), and you can also follow us on LinkedIn.