You just spent six figures on leadership development for your team. Want to know why it’s probably going to fail?
Because you’re not doing the work alongside them.
As executives, you say leadership development matters. You’ve invested in coaching, workshops, maybe even a comprehensive program. But here’s what I need to say out loud:
If you aren’t committed to doing the development work yourself, the program will fail.
I’ve watched executives approve emotional intelligence training while communicating a layoff with zero empathy. I’ve seen leaders champion a feedback culture while never asking for feedback themselves. I’ve observed C-suite teams mandate vulnerability workshops while staying safely behind closed doors for their own conversations.
Approving a program isn’t the same as engaging with it. And you can’t expect your organization to build skills you aren’t willing to model yourself.
When you’re not rolling up your sleeves and doing the development work, you’re sending a silent message:
“This isn’t really for us. We don’t think we need to improve.”
That message may be unspoken, but it’s loud—and it shapes how seriously your teams take the work.
The most effective leadership development strengthens individual skills and builds the connective tissue a leadership team needs to function together. It creates shared language. Builds trust that holds up under pressure. Determines how you show up—for each other and the organization. It’s as important for the executive team as for every leader below them.
But none of that sticks unless it starts at the top.
You can’t build a culture of learning if your most senior leaders opt out of learning themselves. You can’t build alignment if your own team isn’t aligned on how you lead. And you can’t build trust if you’re not willing to get uncomfortable and grow in full view of your people.
So before you launch another leadership program, ask yourself: Are you ready to be a student again? Because your team is watching—and they’ll follow your lead, not your memo.
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