Building A Training Culture

Leadership training looks good on paper, but in practice, it's broken. It trains for leadership in theory—not in reality. Most programmes: → Focus on abstract strategy, not real-world decisions → Teach frameworks, not the people skills leaders actually need → Run as one-and-done events, with no follow-through Leadership isn’t learned in a classroom. It’s found in the moments most programmes don’t prepare you for: → Leading when your team is emotionally shut down → Coaching someone who’s doing “fine” but not growing → Knowing when you’re the bottleneck—but being too reactive to fix it → Managing a high performer who’s driven by totally different values → Responding instead of reacting when you're under pressure → Leading without a title—or influencing across teams when you have zero authority → Helping team members reconnect with meaning when motivation drops → Regaining leadership presence after a public mistake or visible wobble That’s why 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 found that 50% of senior leaders say their company’s leadership training fails to build critical skills. Companies check a box, hand out certificates… …and end up with leaders who can talk about leadership—but can’t practise it. I’ve seen it firsthand: → A senior manager I coach attended a well-reviewed programme. But when it came to the real challenge—handling tough conversations with his team—he left with zero practical tools. → Six months later, the issue was still holding him back. Performance was slipping. Morale was shaky. → What he needed was real-world coaching. So what actually works? ✅ Train for real challenges, not textbook scenarios. → 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘨𝘭𝘦 uses job rotations that force managers to lead unfamiliar teams under pressure. ✅ Go beyond passive learning. Embed feedback, coaching and application. → A client company pairs rising leaders with mentors and coaches for continuous, real-time development. ✅ Don’t “teach” leadership—build leaders through experience. → 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘹 gives managers decision-making authority early. Radical. Messy. And it works. A two-day workshop won’t build leadership muscle. Only ongoing, real-world development will. Is your company developing leaders or just running leadership programmes? _____________ Hi, I’m Lucy. I help leaders lead from the inside out—using emotional intelligence, intrinsic motivation, and mental fitness to create lasting impact (without burning out).

AI upskilling isn't just about technical training. Are you allocating budget for the leadership challenges it creates? I'm seeing a concerning trend across organisations investing heavily in AI: All focus on technical training. Almost zero attention on the leadership capabilities needed to navigate the human side of this transformation. After delivering numerous transformation initiatives throughout my career, I know this imbalance is a pattern that undermines potential success. Here's what's missing from your AI budget allocation: ❌ Your leaders aren't equipped to handle the fear and resistance that emerges when teams believe AI threatens their relevance ❌ Your executives haven't developed the skills to identify which decisions should remain human-led versus AI-augmented ❌ Your leadership pipeline isn't being prepared for the new competencies required in an AI-integrated workplace The research is clear - organizations that fail to invest in leadership development alongside technical implementation see significantly lower ROI on their investments. The organisations succeeding with AI are investing equally in: ✅ Technical capability building ✅ Leadership development focused on human-AI collaboration ✅ Change management expertise specifically for AI adoption ✅ Executive coaching to navigate complex ethical considerations What percentage of your AI transformation budget is dedicated to leadership capability building? If it's under 30%, you're likely setting yourself up for costly setbacks. Are you preparing your leaders, or just your systems? #OutcomesOverHours #AILeadership #ChangeManagement #FutureOfWork

86% of companies say leadership development is a priority. Only 13% believe they’re doing it well. That gap is why most training fails. Not because leaders don’t want to grow. But because the environments they return to are designed to break them. It’s like teaching someone to swim, then throwing them in quicksand. I watched Sophia, one of the sharpest managers on our team, leave training inspired. By Monday morning, she was drowning in: • Back-to-back meetings • 97 “urgent” emails • Zero space to apply what she’d learned Three months later? Back to old patterns. The system was stronger than the skills. Here’s what nobody admits: We don’t have a training problem. We have an environment problem. The math is brutal: 16 hours → leadership training per year 2,000 hours → working in broken systems Guess which one wins? The traps I see everywhere: Meeting Trap: Teach delegation. Fill calendars so they can’t. Metrics Trap: Train trust. Measure only short-term numbers. Availability Trap: Preach balance. Praise midnight emails. Speed Trap: Teach thoughtfulness. Demand instant everything. Most managers know what to do. They’re trapped in environments that won’t let them. So they feel twice the failure: Once for not leading well. Once for “wasting” the training. What actually works? Stop fixing managers. Fix environments. Before any training, ask: • What prevents them from using this? • Which systems contradict our teaching? • How will we protect practice time? Leadership isn’t built in workshops. It’s built in the 2,000 hours between them. Until we fix those hours, training isn’t leadership development. It’s survival training in quicksand. 🏷️ Tag a leader who needs to see this ➕ Follow for the truth about real leadership development

For years, “leadership training” in healthcare meant stacking certifications and protocols. I believed it, too, until I watched highly trained clinicians hesitate in high-pressure moments. Not for lack of knowledge, but because they’d never practiced the pressure. Leadership doesn’t show up in theory. It shows up in motion, when you’re tired, the call isn’t clear, and you have to decide and own it. That’s why scenario-based simulation matters. Not once a semester in a lab, but brief, daily reps that build judgment into muscle memory. With VRpatients, leaders-in-training run high-stakes cases asynchronously: assess the whole patient (subjective + objective), choose the next action, and see the response in real time, then repeat, reflect, and refine until the right move is automatic. Educators assign once, coach 1:1 with analytics, and scale across units, on laptops today, headsets when you’re ready. If you’re shaping the next generation of healthcare leaders, rethink the model. Leadership isn’t a lecture, it’s reps under pressure. Train for the reality you expect them to lead. #ClinicalEducation #HealthcareTraining #LeadershipInHealthcare #SimulationMatters #VRinHealthcare #WorkforceDevelopment

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 🚀 Struggling to get senior leadership onboard with your Learning and Development (L&D) initiatives? It's a common issue. When senior leaders don’t prioritize L&D, these programs often end up underfunded and undervalued, which can stifle employee growth and hinder organizational progress. Here's how to make them sit up and take notice: 📌 Align with Business Goals: First things first, connect your L&D initiatives directly to the company’s strategic objectives. Show how upskilling employees can drive key business outcomes like increased revenue, improved customer satisfaction, and enhanced innovation. 📌 Show Measurable Outcomes: Create a metrics-driven approach to demonstrate the impact of L&D. Use KPIs like employee performance improvements, retention rates, and ROI to make a compelling case. Numbers speak louder than words. 📌 Highlight Success Stories: Showcase case studies and success stories within your company where L&D initiatives have led to tangible benefits. Real-world examples can be incredibly persuasive. 📌 Engage Leaders in the Process: Involve senior leaders in the development and delivery of L&D programs. When they have a hand in shaping the content and delivery, they’re more likely to see its value. 📌 Communicate Regularly: Keep the lines of communication open and regular. Monthly or quarterly reports on L&D progress, challenges, and successes can keep leadership informed and engaged. 📌 Leverage Technology: Utilize advanced learning platforms that offer detailed analytics and reporting features. This not only improves the learning experience but also provides data to support your business case. 📌 Foster a Learning Culture: Promote a culture where continuous learning is valued and encouraged. When senior leaders see a culture of learning thriving, they are more likely to support these initiatives. 📌 Tie L&D to Leadership Development: Emphasize the role of L&D in developing future leaders. Highlight how these programs can groom high-potential employees for leadership roles, ensuring the long-term success of the organization. 📌 Budget Smartly: Present a well-thought-out budget that clearly outlines the costs and expected benefits of L&D initiatives. 📌 Solicit Feedback: Regularly seek feedback from senior leaders on L&D initiatives. Engaging senior leadership in L&D is not just about gaining approval; it’s about creating a partnership where both parties see the value and work towards a common goal. By demonstrating the strategic importance and measurable outcomes, you can elevate the status of your L&D initiatives within the organization. How do you get your senior leaders engaged in L&D? Share your strategies below! ⬇️ #LearningAndDevelopment #Leadership #CorporateTraining #EmployeeEngagement #BusinessStrategy #HR #ProfessionalGrowth

Your leadership training isn't working. Here's why: 45% of managers say their companies aren't doing enough to develop future leaders. But the problem runs deeper than just "not enough training." After a decade of designing leadership programs, here's what I consistently see organizations get wrong: ➡️ They treat leadership development as an event, not a journey. Think about it: You send your high-performers to a 2-day workshop. They return energized with new ideas. Then... nothing changes. Why? Because the training isn't integrated into their day-to-day performance. Here's how to fix this: 1️⃣ Start with the end in mind Map out exactly what success looks like for your leaders. What behaviors and outcomes do you want to see? Build your development plan backward from there. 2️⃣ Create accountability partnerships Pair leaders with internal mentors who can provide ongoing support and feedback. (36% of managers report witnessing ineffective leadership regularly - mentorship helps break this cycle.) 3️⃣ Design learning that sticks Instead of one-off training sessions, create a blend of: - Practical assignments tied to business goals - Peer learning groups for real-time problem solving - Regular coaching check-ins - Opportunities to teach others 4️⃣ Measure what matters Track behavioral changes, not just completion rates. Are your leaders demonstrating improved communication? Better decision-making? Increased team engagement? 5️⃣ Make it systematic Leadership development should be part of your performance management system. Tie development goals to promotions and compensation. Remember: Great leaders aren't born in a classroom. They're developed through intentional practice, meaningful feedback, and real-world application. What's one thing you're doing to develop leaders in your organization? #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #TalentDevelopment #OrganizationalDevelopment

Train leaders first, not last. Most product transformations get this backwards. Teams learn outcome-based roadmapping, story mapping, and customer discovery while leadership sticks to business as usual. Then we wonder why change initiatives fall flat. From coaching dozens of transformations, I've seen that when leaders get left out, they can't support what they don't understand. They end up micromanaging because they lack the strategic context to guide effectively. When leaders understand the frameworks their teams are using, the transformation gains real momentum. Leaders who speak the same language as their teams create better alignment. They set clearer objectives, choose more strategic problems to solve, and give teams the clarity needed to succeed. Most importantly, they stop asking for feature lists and start asking for outcomes. Leaders don't need to write perfect user stories or facilitate design sprints. But they absolutely need to speak the same language as their teams. They have their own level of product management (setting strategy, choosing bets, allocating resources...) and that requires the same thoughtful approach to learning. The magic isn't just in teaching frameworks. It's in building belief that change is actually possible. How are you approaching leadership development in your transformation?

I've built and/or delivered leadership development training for hundreds of companies over the last five years. Here's the formula for the most successful programs: Leadership Behavior Change = Catalyst Event + Systemic Changes Leadership development aims to change behavior. When we're deploying leadership training, it's because we need our managers to be taking different types of actions inside of our organizations. We need the different behavior to either save costs or make more revenue. We need real business impact. But the problem is that training classes do NOT exclusively change behavior. Sending your managers to a one-time manager bootcamp will not result in the changes you're hoping to see. Instead, use in-person events as a catalyst event. In-person events have a very valid purpose. They serve to get people to think differently. During successful leadership development events, leaders agree to reframe their approach. Furthermore, leadership in-person events build community and trust for longer-term peer-based support inside our organizations. Then, once the event is done, we have to focus on making system changes that support our new behaviors. We have to change the processes that feed into the previous cultural norms. Managers need real-time support for the behavior change we're asking of them. This might look like: - Coaching (group or 1-1) - Conversation guides - On-the-job challenges - Cross-training - Stretch opportunities - Mentorship - Internal/external networking - Internal change campaigns Traditional leadership development doesn't create this effect. Only when we combine the two together do we achieve lasting real business transformation. What do you think about this formula? What's missing or what would you change here?

Every teacher in the building sat through the training. But the person who controls the schedule, the coaching, and the follow through did not and it’s an expensive problem. Districts spend real time and real money on training days between substitutes, stipends, a notebook and pen for every teacher in the room, plus the curriculum and facilitation. But here's the hard truth: without building leaders in the room, only so much can change. Without leadership in the room: 🚩 There’s no one who can shift the schedule so the new lesson block actually fits. 🚩 Teachers get new materials that need a leader's sign-off before they can use them, and the leader isn't there to give it. 🚩 Teachers walk back into the exact same system, expected to make the change happen with no one in leadership carrying the same vision. We need leaders in the room so that: ✅ The leader and staff are speaking the same language and have shared context about curriculum evolution. ✅ Scheduling and resourcing calls can be made that day, not six weeks later. ✅ The leader becomes a "vision carrier," and carries the plan forward when the trainer isn't in the room anymore, not just a name who approved it. Training teachers changes a lesson. Training the leader changes a system. 👉 I talked with literacy leadership expert Dr. Terrie Noland about why training only the classroom and skipping the leader is one of the most common ways good reading initiatives quietly die. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/g67e3z3X Literacy directors: when's the last time a building leader sat through the exact same training as their staff? #ScienceOfReading #LiteracyLeadership #InstructionalLeadership

Most companies expect L&D to “fix” the lowest-level employees. 👉 But it’s not the frontline that breaks learning initiatives. It’s the managers who were never trained, never supported, and never equipped to make them succeed. In every organization I’ve stepped into, the pattern is the same: ❌ No bandwidth for managers ❌ No capability development for managers ❌ No support structure for managers And then the business wonders why frontline behaviors don’t change. ⭐ If your managers aren’t developed, your learning strategy doesn’t stand a chance. Managers make the learning stick: 🔁 They make (or break) adoption 👥 They reinforce (or ignore) new behaviors 🧭 They coach (or avoid coaching) 📉 They influence whether people stay or leave When I built a multi-year leadership development program for managers at Sprint, the impact wasn’t subtle: 📉 Leadership attrition dropped 20% 💰 Saving the business ~$10M/year in turnover costs 📈 Faster adoption, stronger performance, higher engagement Not because we trained the frontline harder — but because we finally trained the people who shape the frontline. Executives: 👉 If you want your L&D investments to pay off, ask this one question: Are our managers actually capable of reinforcing what we’re asking employees to do? If the answer is “no,” then no amount of training will fix your business performance.