Everyone’s an expert these days.
Or at least, that’s how it might feel when you scroll through the countless profiles of executive coaches on LinkedIn, sparkling with certifications, with feeds overflowing with leadership quotes and bios promising to transform you into the next Richard Branson by Tuesday.
But here’s the question: in a world full of so many experts, why are so many leaders still struggling?
According to a study on 2024 workforce trends by Leapsome,
- 71% of managers have increased workloads from last year.
- 6 in 10 managers report feeling overwhelmed.
- More than 50% of managers say their mental wellbeing has deteriorated.
From these statements alone, we can conclude that the responsibilities put on leaders, particularly middle managers, are rising.
Our job, then, becomes to understand how we can better equip and aid managers to deal with these heightened levels of responsibility through effective leadership training.
What Makes a Good Leader?
Let’s cut through the noise for a moment.
Good leadership isn’t about mastering the latest buzzwords or hiring an executive coach with the most impressive LinkedIn profile. It’s about something much more fundamental:
- Understanding your people deeply enough to know when to support and when to challenge.
- Having the business acumen to connect leadership decisions to real commercial outcomes.
- Being adaptable enough to shift your approach based on what your team needs, not what the latest leadership book suggests.
Why Leadership Training Fails
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: a lot of leadership training is about as effective as a chocolate teapot.
Strong words? Maybe.
But through the years I’ve spent working as a leader myself and in leadership development, I’ve seen the same patterns.
It starts with fancy presentations that look great but leave leaders scratching their heads, thinking, “This information is all great, but how do I actually use this?”
That is often coupled with a one-size-fits-all approach that completely ignores the reality that every business, every team, and every leader is different.
And then, while many may leave this masterclass or workshop feeling inspired or motivated to do better, after about a week, things have already returned to the status quo.
This last point highlights the biggest failure: a complete lack of follow-through.
You can motivate a person and give them the most valuable and actionable insights, but without accountability, it is remarkably easy for that person to fall back into old behaviours and routines.
Informing leaders that they can do better is only half of the better – it’s action, consistency, and accountability that separates the truly good leaders from the ineffective.
The Real Cost of Ineffective Leadership Development
There are no two ways around it; poor leadership costs your business financially.
According to research by the Blanchard Company, poor leadership practices cost your average business an amount equal to as much as 7% of their total annual sales.
How is this possible? Well, when you take into consideration:
- Costs associated with a halt in or loss of productivity due to ineffective leadership.
- High turnover rates, particularly of high-performing team members who are seeking better management.
- A lack of clear goals or a lack of understanding of the company’s direction and vision leads to suboptimal performance.
It becomes a little clearer how the costs of ineffective leadership can eventually add up.
Elements of Effective Leadership Training
So, what actually works when it comes to leadership training?
In our experience, leadership development is at its most effective when you focus on the things that create real change:
- Clear Business Connection: Every leadership action should tie directly to business outcomes. Not vague “improve communication” goals, but specific targets like “reduce quality issues by 25% through better team coordination.”
- Practical Strategy: Leaders need tools they can use immediately. Not theoretical frameworks, but actual conversations, decisions, and actions they can implement tomorrow.
- Ongoing Support: Change doesn’t happen in a workshop. It happens in the daily grind when you’re trying to apply new approaches and need someone in your corner.
- Measurable Impact: If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. Every leadership development initiative should have clear, trackable outcomes.
Leadership development isn’t a one-time event, it’s a journey.
Think about it like building a house. You wouldn’t just throw up some walls and call it done. You need foundations, support structures, and regular maintenance.
The same applies to leadership:
- Strong foundations: Understanding your current leadership landscape
- Support structures: Regular coaching and feedback mechanisms
- Maintenance: Ongoing development and adaptation
One Degree’s Approach
Here’s where we do things differently.
No motivational speeches by an executive coach that fade by Monday. No theoretical frameworks that gather dust. Instead:
- Monthly masterclasses that build on real business challenges
- Live implementation support when you need it most
- Regular coaching to share challenges and solutions
- Practical tools you can use immediately
Ready to move beyond the ‘expert’ noise and experience the impact of real, no-bullshit leadership training?
Here’s our advice on how you can truly start to create change:
- Assess where you really are, not where you wish you were or hope to be in a few months.
- Set practical, measurable goals that matter to your business.
- Build support systems that work in your reality.
- Track progress against actual business outcomes.
- Adapt and adjust based on what’s working.
Remember: Effective leadership training should emphasise creating long-term positive change in your business.
Ready to explore leadership development that actually works?
Let’s have a conversation about your specific challenges and what real solutions could look like.
To transformative leadership,
Andy
