Leadership Development Programme Questions: What to Ask
Explore key leadership development programme questions. Learn what to ask when designing, selecting, or evaluating leadership training for your organisation.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Sun 5th October 2025
Leadership Development Programme Questions: A Comprehensive Guide
Leadership development programme questions fall into several categories: questions to ask when designing programmes, questions for selecting external providers, questions participants should consider, and questions for evaluating effectiveness. Research from the Center for Creative Leadership indicates that thoughtful questioning throughout the development process significantly improves outcomes—yet many organisations rush into programmes without systematic inquiry. The right questions surface assumptions, clarify needs, and guide decisions that determine whether development investment produces returns.
Understanding which questions matter at each stage enables more strategic approach to leadership development.
Questions for Programme Design
What Questions Should Guide Programme Design?
When designing leadership development programmes, ask:
About objectives:
What specific leadership capabilities do we need to develop?
What business outcomes should the programme support?
How will we know if the programme succeeds?
What problems are we trying to solve?
Who defined these objectives and how?
About audience:
Who specifically will participate?
What are their current capability levels?
What development have they already completed?
What motivates them to develop?
What barriers might limit their engagement?
About content:
What topics must the programme cover?
What can be excluded or covered elsewhere?
How current is proposed content?
What evidence supports the chosen approach?
How will content connect to participants' real challenges?
About delivery:
What format best serves learning objectives?
What time commitment can participants realistically make?
Who should facilitate—internal or external?
What technology will support delivery?
How will learning transfer to the workplace?
Design Area
Key Question
Why It Matters
Objectives
What are we trying to achieve?
Direction for design
Audience
Who are we developing?
Appropriate pitch
Content
What should we cover?
Relevance
Delivery
How should we deliver?
Engagement
Transfer
How will learning apply?
Impact
What Questions Address Participant Needs?
Understanding participants requires asking:
Current state:
What are participants' existing strengths?
Where do significant capability gaps exist?
What feedback have they received about development needs?
How do they perceive their own development priorities?
Context:
What leadership challenges do they face?
What organisational constraints affect their leadership?
What support exists for their development?
What role models can they observe?
Motivation:
Why would they engage with development?
What concerns might create resistance?
What would make the programme valuable to them?
How does development connect to their career aspirations?
Learning preferences:
How do they learn most effectively?
What previous development have they valued?
What formats suit their schedules?
What support do they need during learning?
Questions for Selecting Programmes
What Questions Should Guide Provider Selection?
When evaluating external programmes, ask:
About the provider:
How long have they delivered leadership development?
What is their reputation in the field?
What credentials do their facilitators hold?
Who else uses this provider?
What client references can they provide?
About the programme:
What specific outcomes does this programme produce?
What evidence demonstrates programme effectiveness?
How was the programme developed?
How frequently is content updated?
What distinguishes this programme from alternatives?
About participants:
What is the typical participant profile?
How are participants selected?
What cohort size is maintained?
What do past participants say about their experience?
What do they achieve after completion?
About practical matters:
What does the programme cost?
What is included in the fee?
What schedule does the programme follow?
What pre-work is required?
What ongoing support is provided?
What Questions Assess Programme Quality?
Quality assessment requires:
Evidence questions:
What outcomes data exists?
How was effectiveness measured?
What behaviour changes do participants demonstrate?
What business impact has been documented?
How do participant satisfaction scores compare to benchmarks?
Methodology questions:
What learning theories inform the approach?
How does the programme balance theory and practice?
What opportunities exist for application?
How is feedback incorporated?
What follow-up support exists?
Faculty questions:
Who will actually facilitate?
What is their professional background?
What facilitation training have they completed?
What do participant reviews say about facilitators?
How is faculty quality assured?
Quality Dimension
Questions to Ask
Red Flags
Evidence
What outcomes data exists?
No measurement
Methodology
What learning theories inform design?
Can't explain approach
Faculty
Who will facilitate?
Can't confirm facilitator
Customisation
Can the programme adapt?
One-size-fits-all only
Support
What follow-up exists?
Programme ends abruptly
Questions for Participants
What Questions Should Participants Ask Themselves?
Before engaging in development, participants should consider:
About readiness:
Am I genuinely open to development?
Can I commit the time and energy required?
Am I willing to receive challenging feedback?
Will I apply what I learn?
What might prevent my full engagement?
About needs:
What do I most need to develop?
What feedback suggests priority areas?
What leadership challenges am I facing?
Where do I want my career to go?
What capabilities would most help me?
About the specific programme:
Does this programme address my development needs?
Will the content be relevant to my context?
Will fellow participants provide valuable peer learning?
Does the format work for my circumstances?
What will I do differently as a result?
What Questions Should Participants Ask Providers?
Participants evaluating programmes should ask:
About fit:
Is this programme appropriate for my career stage?
How does content connect to my specific challenges?
What industries and roles are typically represented?
Will the pace and depth suit my background?
About experience:
What can I expect during the programme?
How much interaction with peers occurs?
What assignments or projects are required?
How demanding is the workload?
About outcomes:
What do participants typically gain?
What career progression do alumni achieve?
How do participants apply learning?
What ongoing network or community exists?
Questions for Programme Evaluation
What Questions Guide Effectiveness Assessment?
Evaluating programmes requires asking at multiple levels:
Reaction questions:
Did participants find the programme valuable?
Was the content relevant to their needs?
Were facilitators effective?
Would they recommend the programme?
What improvements would they suggest?
Learning questions:
What new knowledge did participants gain?
What skills did they develop?
How confident are they in applying learning?
What assessment results indicate learning achievement?
How does post-programme knowledge compare to pre-programme?
Behaviour questions:
Are participants leading differently?
What behaviour changes are observable?
How do 360-degree feedback scores compare?
What do managers observe?
Are participants applying specific techniques?
Results questions:
What business outcomes have improved?
How do participants' teams perform?
What retention and engagement changes occurred?
How does this compare to expected outcomes?
What return on investment was achieved?
What Questions Inform Programme Improvement?
Continuous improvement requires:
About what worked:
Which elements generated most value?
What content resonated most strongly?
Which methods proved most effective?
What aspects should definitely continue?
About what didn't:
Which elements fell flat?
What content lacked relevance?
Where did engagement decline?
What aspects should change or stop?
About gaps:
What did participants need that wasn't provided?
What follow-up would have helped?
What contextual factors weren't addressed?
What additional support would enhance impact?
Common Programme Questions
What Questions Come Up Frequently?
Organisations commonly ask:
Strategic questions:
How does leadership development connect to business strategy?
How much should we invest in development?
Should we build internally or buy externally?
How do we balance individual and organisational needs?
Design questions:
How long should programmes be?
What delivery format works best?
How do we ensure learning transfers?
How do we maintain engagement over time?
Selection questions:
How do we choose between providers?
How do we evaluate programme quality?
What should programmes cost?
How do we know if a programme fits our culture?
Evaluation questions:
How do we measure programme effectiveness?
What ROI should we expect?
How long before we see results?
How do we attribute outcomes to development?
Question Category
Common Questions
Key Consideration
Strategic
How much to invest?
Business alignment
Design
What format works best?
Learning transfer
Selection
How to choose providers?
Quality evidence
Evaluation
How to measure impact?
Attribution
Questions by Stakeholder
What Questions Do Different Stakeholders Ask?
Senior executives ask:
What business impact will this produce?
How does this support our strategy?
What's the return on investment?
How will we know it worked?
HR/L&D professionals ask:
How does this fit our development framework?
What administrative requirements exist?
How do we scale if successful?
What resources do we need?
Participants' managers ask:
How will this help my team member?
What time commitment is required?
How can I support their development?
What will they do differently?
Participants ask:
How will this help my career?
Is this worth my time investment?
Will the content apply to my situation?
What network or credential results?
Frequently Asked Questions
What questions should I ask about a leadership programme?
Ask about: programme objectives and outcomes evidence, facilitator credentials and experience, participant profile and selection, content relevance to your needs, format and time commitment, follow-up support, cost and what's included, and what past participants achieved. Quality providers answer these readily; evasion suggests concerns.
How do I know if a leadership programme is good?
Assess programme quality by asking: what outcomes data exists, how is effectiveness measured, what do past participants report, how current is the content, what credentials do facilitators hold, and how does this compare to alternatives. Request references from organisations similar to yours. Quality programmes demonstrate measurable impact.
What makes a leadership development programme successful?
Successful programmes: address genuine development needs, engage quality facilitators, include appropriate peer groups, balance theory with practice, support application to real challenges, provide follow-up reinforcement, and demonstrate measurable outcomes. Success requires programme quality, participant engagement, and organisational support for application.
How long should a leadership development programme be?
Programme length depends on objectives and participant availability. Short workshops (1-3 days) address specific skills. Certificate programmes span weeks to months for broader capability building. Comprehensive programmes may extend over a year. Modular formats spread learning whilst accommodating schedules. Depth usually requires time.
What questions should participants ask themselves before leadership development?
Participants should ask: Am I genuinely open to development? What do I most need to develop? Does this programme address my needs? Can I commit the time required? Will I apply what I learn? What would make this valuable? What might prevent my engagement? Honest self-assessment predicts development success.
How do you evaluate leadership development effectiveness?
Evaluate effectiveness at multiple levels: reaction (satisfaction surveys), learning (assessments), behaviour (360-degree feedback changes, manager observations), and results (business metrics improvement). Compare pre and post measures. Use control groups where possible. Calculate ROI for significant investments. Combine quantitative and qualitative data.
What should a company look for in leadership training providers?
Look for: established track record in leadership development, evidence of programme effectiveness, qualified and experienced facilitators, positive client references, content relevant to your context, flexible delivery options, reasonable pricing, and ongoing support. Visit if possible; observe facilitators; speak with past participants.
Conclusion: Questions Enable Better Decisions
Leadership development programme questions guide better decisions at every stage—design, selection, participation, and evaluation. Thoughtful inquiry surfaces assumptions, clarifies needs, and directs investment toward approaches most likely to produce returns.
Ask the hard questions. Demand evidence for claims. Involve stakeholders in defining needs. Evaluate results systematically.
The quality of your leadership development reflects the quality of questions you ask about it. Better questions lead to better programmes lead to better leaders.