Leadership Effectiveness: Results Matter; Leadership Counts®

It is estimated that $16 billion is invested in leadership development each year. Some companies achieve high ROI (as much as 200 percent), and others do not. We ask, “What could go wrong, given all that investment…” and “how you can ensure a high ROI on your investment?” A staggering 40 percent of leaders fail in their first 18 months on the job.^[1] That is what could go wrong despite the billions of dollars that are spent each year on leadership development.^[2]

So, what can you do to increase your odds of getting a higher ROI?

Understand the beliefs that drive the culture of your organization.
Create a platform for why you are doing leadership development—the meaning and higher purpose.
Link the business outcomes and results to leadership development.
Reduce dysfunction and build trust and accountability.
Engage in continuous feedback; promote a shared and radical commitment to change the narrative.

It is critical for the success of a leader’s development that they have a strong commitment to living the principles that will grow their people. This commitment requires a level of self-awareness and a fearless willingness to grow themselves while also achieving business results. We are talking about leaders with whom we have worked who had the courage to jump in the pool first, and to:

Drive culture change; to clarify values, vision, and mission; to bring the organization along, to understand the impact; to work on difficult dynamics; and to commit to change
Get their 360 feedback first
Openly share with their direct reports the good news (“My perceived strengths are a, b, c…”) and the development areas (“I need to work on d, e, f…”)
Commit to change, ask for help, follow up
And then roll out the process to their leadership team and their direct reports.

What steps can you take to ensure your organization is using leadership development to attract, retain, and grow the best and the brightest?

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