The Leadership Trap: Why Most Training Fails
Most leadership training doesn't stick because it treats symptoms, not root causes. Here's what actually works.
Here's something that bothers me about the training industry: companies spend billions on leadership development programs, and most of them don't work. Not because the content is bad — because the approach is wrong.
The Trap
The typical leadership training goes like this: bring everyone to a conference room (or a Zoom call), deliver content for a day or two, maybe do some role-playing exercises, hand out certificates, and send everyone back to work.
Two weeks later, nothing has changed. Why?
It's a Systems Problem
You can teach someone leadership skills in a workshop. You can't change the system they work in during that same workshop. If the culture rewards micromanagement, no amount of "empowering leadership" training will stick. If the incentive structure punishes risk-taking, nobody is going to innovate just because a trainer told them to.
What Actually Works
Training that changes behavior has three characteristics:
1. It's Applied Immediately Don't teach theory on Monday and hope people apply it on Friday. Embed learning into the actual work. Coaching on the job, not in a classroom.
2. It Addresses the System If you want managers to delegate more, you also need to change how you evaluate managers. If delegation isn't in the performance review, it's not going to happen.
3. It's Ongoing, Not One-Shot A single workshop is an event. Behavior change is a process. The best programs include ongoing coaching, peer accountability, and regular check-ins over months — not days.
The AI Angle
This is where AI gets interesting for L&D. AI coaching assistants can provide ongoing support between sessions. They can remind leaders of their commitments, offer situation-specific advice, and track progress over time. It's not a replacement for human coaching, but it's a great supplement.