Leadership development programs are fundamental tools for the growth and success of companies, but many of them still fail to achieve their goals. According to the study ‘The New Era of Leadership Development,’ conducted by Innoscience, a consultancy specialized in innovation, five recurring problems compromise the effectiveness of these initiatives: isolated training, misalignment with the company’s reality, rigid organizational structure, lack of involvement from top leadership, and absence of practical opportunities for applying learning.
The research indicates that when learning is not aligned with the company’s context and does not allow practical application, knowledge transfer is compromised, and the expected results do not materialize. Additionally, the study highlights that rigid hierarchical structures and lack of sponsorship from top leadership contribute to the stagnation of programs. Without direct support from senior leaders, participants tend to disengage and view development as a formality, rather than a strategic priority for the organization. ‘It is common to see trainings focused only on theoretical content, without connection to the business reality or real opportunities for experimentation. This leads to unprepared leaders to deal with the challenges of corporate daily life,’ says Maximiliano Carlomagno, partner at Innoscience.
To overcome these challenges, Innoscience advocates a more integrated approach, adapted to the reality of each company. “It is essential to personalize leadership development programs and ensure they are connected to the organization’s strategic objectives. Only then will it be possible to develop leaders capable of making a real impact,” concludes Carlomagno. The study also presents practical ways to transform leadership development into a competitive advantage. Among the proposed solutions, personalized learning with AI, tailored paths adapted to the profile and real challenges of each leader, promoting greater engagement and applicability. Immersive learning using methodologies such as virtual reality and leadership bootcamps to simulate real situations and accelerate the practice of critical competencies.
Other analyses also reinforce the integration with the business routine and strategy – programs cease to be isolated events and become part of the workflow, focusing on measurable results. Mentoring and social learning, promoting peer learning and the creation of internal leader communities for sharing experiences and speeding up development. Continuous impact measurement, using KPIs and ROI models to assess the transformation generated by programs in behavior, performance, and organizational results.
These approaches, already adopted by companies such as Google, Unilever, and Microsoft, show that it is possible to reinvent how organizations train their leaders, and that the results can be tangible. All insights, are available at the link.
