Articles / Leadership Skills Can Be Developed: Evidence-Based Guide
Development, Training & CoachingDiscover how leadership skills can be developed through proven methods. Learn evidence-based strategies, neuroplasticity insights, and the 70-20-10 framework for leadership growth.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Tue 7th October 2025
Leadership skills can be developed through deliberate practice, structured experiences, and continuous learning—regardless of your starting point. Research from the Centre for Creative Leadership demonstrates that 70% of leadership capability emerges from challenging work experiences, whilst 20% develops through relationships and mentoring, with formal training contributing the remaining 10%. This isn't merely optimistic thinking; it's neuroscience meeting decades of empirical evidence.
The persistent myth that leaders are born rather than made has cost organisations billions in misplaced recruitment strategies and untapped potential. Yet recent neuroscientific discoveries reveal something rather remarkable: your brain possesses the capacity to rewire itself throughout your lifetime, creating new neural pathways that enable leadership competencies to flourish. Much like a sculptor working with clay, you can deliberately shape your leadership abilities through intentional practice and strategic development initiatives.
Consider this: organisations investing in leadership development programmes report returns ranging from £3 to £11 for every pound spent, with an average ROI of £7. More compelling still, leadership development initiatives yield 415% annualised returns when properly implemented, alongside improved retention rates, enhanced team performance, and measurable revenue growth.
Leadership development represents a systematic process of expanding an individual's capacity to guide, influence, and inspire others towards achieving collective objectives. Unlike innate personality traits—which remain relatively stable—leadership skills constitute learnable competencies that strengthen through application and refinement.
When neuroscientist Michael Merzenich studied brain adaptability at the University of California, his research confirmed what developmental psychologists had long suspected: deliberate practice fundamentally alters neural architecture. The brain forms stronger connections in areas associated with skills you actively cultivate, from strategic thinking and emotional intelligence to decision-making under pressure and communication effectiveness.
This neuroplasticity—your brain's remarkable ability to reorganise itself—provides the biological foundation for leadership development. Every time you navigate a difficult conversation, make a strategic decision, or coach a team member through a challenge, you're literally rewiring your brain's leadership circuitry.
The relationship between neuroplasticity and leadership development mirrors the experience of learning any complex skill. Concert pianists weren't born with superior motor cortex development; their thousands of hours of practice physically altered their brain structure. Similarly, effective leaders develop their capabilities through sustained, purposeful engagement with leadership challenges.
Research published in The Leadership Quarterly demonstrates that leadership competencies develop most effectively when three conditions align: genuine challenge that stretches current capabilities, supportive relationships that provide feedback and guidance, and reflective practice that extracts lessons from experience. This triumvirate creates what developmental psychologists term the "stretch zone"—that sweet spot between comfort and overwhelm where optimal learning occurs.
The evidence overwhelmingly suggests yes—with appropriate caveats. Whilst certain personality traits may influence how you express leadership, the core competencies themselves remain eminently developable.
Strategic Thinking and Vision Development: The capacity to see patterns, anticipate future scenarios, and craft compelling direction doesn't require prophetic gifts—it demands systematic practice in scenario planning, industry analysis, and stakeholder engagement. Leaders strengthen this competency by regularly stepping back from operational details to consider broader contexts and longer time horizons.
Emotional Intelligence and Self-Awareness: Daniel Goleman's research demonstrates that emotional intelligence—comprising self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills—can be developed through mindfulness practices, 360-degree feedback mechanisms, and deliberate attention to interpersonal dynamics. Studies show that leaders who engage in regular self-reflection and seek candid feedback show measurable improvements in emotional intelligence within six to twelve months.
Communication and Influence: Clear, persuasive communication emerges from understanding your audience, crafting compelling narratives, and practising various communication modalities. Whether addressing the board or motivating frontline teams, communication excellence develops through preparation, delivery, reflection, and refinement.
Decision-Making Under Uncertainty: Complex decision-making improves through exposure to progressively challenging scenarios, structured decision frameworks, and systematic analysis of both successful and unsuccessful outcomes. Leaders who maintain decision journals—documenting their reasoning, assumptions, and ultimate results—accelerate their decision-making development significantly.
Building and Developing Teams: The ability to assemble high-performing teams, delegate effectively, and develop others represents learnable competencies. Research from organisations implementing leadership development programmes shows that managers can measurably improve their coaching effectiveness, delegation skills, and team-building capabilities within structured development initiatives.
Whilst leadership skills can be developed by anyone, individual differences in temperament, cognitive processing, and interpersonal orientation influence the ease and style of development rather than its possibility. An introvert may develop different leadership strengths than an extravert—perhaps excelling in one-to-one coaching whilst the extravert thrives in group motivation—but both can become exceptionally effective leaders.
Former Aetna CEO Ron Williams articulates this balance elegantly: "Certainly there are leaders who do have innate charisma, but the vast majority of leadership is learned. It's individuals who have a high tolerance of failure, who have an ability to get up and demonstrate leadership and participate in activities where they learn the lessons of leadership from others."
The development timeline varies considerably based on starting competency levels, development intensity, and the specific skills being cultivated. However, research provides helpful benchmarks.
Malcolm Gladwell popularised Anders Ericsson's research suggesting that expert-level performance requires approximately 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. Applied to leadership, this translates to roughly five years of full-time leadership experience—assuming intentional skill development rather than mere time accumulation.
Critically, not all experience proves equally developmental. Twenty years of repeating the same patterns doesn't equal one year of experience twenty times over. Deliberate developmental experience—characterised by stretch assignments, reflective practice, and systematic skill application—accelerates capability growth far beyond routine task execution.
Organisations implementing structured leadership development typically observe:
A study examining leadership development programmes found that participants demonstrated 29% ROI within three months and sustained improvements over multi-year periods when development included ongoing coaching and application opportunities.
The 70-20-10 framework, emerging from three decades of research by the Centre for Creative Leadership, revolutionised understanding of how leaders actually develop their capabilities. This research-validated model suggests:
70% from challenging experiences: Leaders develop primarily through stretch assignments, project leadership, crisis management, and other demanding on-the-job experiences that push beyond current capabilities.
20% from developmental relationships: Coaching, mentoring, feedback from bosses and peers, and observing role models contribute substantially to leadership growth.
10% from formal training: Courses, workshops, books, and structured learning activities provide frameworks, concepts, and foundational knowledge.
Challenging experiences force leaders to grapple with ambiguity, manage competing priorities, influence without authority, and recover from setbacks—precisely the capabilities that distinguish exceptional leaders. A manager transitioning to their first executive role faces novel challenges in strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and organisational influence. These experiences create what psychologists call "productive discomfort"—sufficient challenge to stimulate growth without overwhelming capacity.
The Corporate Leadership Council's research confirmed that on-the-job learning delivers three times more impact on performance than formal training. This doesn't diminish training's value but contextualises its role within comprehensive development strategies.
Whilst comprising just 10% of the developmental mix, well-designed training programmes create what researchers term an "amplifier effect"—clarifying concepts, providing frameworks, and accelerating learning from the other 90%. American Express discovered that formal training's effectiveness increased significantly when managers engaged with participants both before and after training sessions, helping them contextualise learning within their specific roles.
Consider formal training as the theoretical foundation upon which experiential learning builds. A workshop on strategic planning provides frameworks; leading an actual strategic initiative develops the skill.
The 20% dedicated to relationships proves particularly powerful when organisations create structured mentoring programmes, facilitate cross-functional exposure, and encourage senior leaders to actively develop their successors. Research shows that leaders who maintain ongoing developmental relationships demonstrate 38% higher performance ratings than those developing in isolation.
Multiple interconnected factors accelerate or impede leadership development. Understanding these enables more intentional cultivation of leadership capabilities.
Carol Dweck's research on growth mindset—the belief that abilities can be developed through effort—proves particularly relevant for leadership development. Leaders holding growth mindsets persist through challenges, embrace feedback, and view setbacks as learning opportunities rather than character indictments.
Self-awareness serves as the foundation upon which all leadership development builds. Leaders unable to perceive their impact on others, recognise their development needs, or acknowledge their limitations struggle to grow effectively. Regular 360-degree feedback, executive coaching, and deliberate reflection practices enhance self-awareness substantially.
Leadership development flourishes in cultures that value learning, tolerate thoughtful risk-taking, and provide psychological safety for experimentation. Organisations where mistakes trigger blame rather than learning curtail developmental opportunities significantly.
Research examining leadership development effectiveness identified senior leadership support as the single most influential factor. When executive teams model continuous learning, participate in development initiatives, and invest resources in talent development, leadership capabilities strengthen throughout the organisation.
Not all experience proves equally developmental. Routine operational management, whilst necessary, provides limited growth opportunities compared to challenges involving:
The key lies in calibrated challenge—assignments sufficiently difficult to stretch capabilities whilst remaining achievable with effort and support.
Leaders developing in feedback-rich environments accelerate their growth substantially. Multiple research studies confirm that leaders receiving regular, specific feedback demonstrate measurably faster skill development than those receiving annual performance reviews alone.
Executive coaching proves particularly valuable during leadership transitions or when developing specific competencies. A study examining coaching effectiveness found that 86% of organisations achieved ROI from coaching engagements, with participants demonstrating sustained behavioural improvements.
Systematic leadership development requires intention, structure, and sustained commitment. These evidence-based strategies accelerate capability growth across multiple dimensions.
Actively seek responsibilities that extend beyond your current capabilities. This might involve:
When approaching stretch assignments, prepare thoroughly, seek input from experienced leaders, and reflect systematically on outcomes. The learning resides not in the experience itself but in extracting insights from that experience.
Curate relationships with individuals who can provide:
Schedule regular check-ins with these advisers, come prepared with specific questions, and act on their guidance. The relationship's developmental value correlates directly with your engagement level.
Apply the principles of deliberate practice to leadership development:
For instance, if developing communication skills, you might: record and analyse your presentations, seek feedback from trusted colleagues, experiment with different structures or storytelling approaches, and progressively tackle more challenging communication scenarios.
Whilst comprising only 10% of the developmental mix, well-chosen programmes provide frameworks that accelerate learning. Seek programmes that:
Organisations report optimal results when formal programmes integrate tightly with on-the-job application and relationship-based learning.
Systematic reflection transforms experience into insight. After significant leadership experiences, document:
Research on reflective practice demonstrates that leaders who systematically reflect on their experiences develop capabilities 40% faster than those who don't engage in structured reflection.
Create mechanisms for regular feedback:
The most effective leaders actively solicit feedback rather than waiting for annual reviews, creating cultures where candid input flows freely.
Understanding typical barriers enables proactive mitigation strategies.
Leaders frequently cite insufficient time as their primary development barrier. The irony, of course, lies in the fact that enhanced leadership capabilities ultimately create more time through improved delegation, decision-making, and team performance.
Solution: Treat leadership development as strategic investment rather than discretionary activity. Block development time in your calendar, integrate learning into regular work (rather than treating it as separate), and ruthlessly eliminate low-value activities consuming time better invested in development.
Stretch assignments and skill development inherently involve risk and potential failure. Leaders in organisations with punitive cultures often avoid developmental opportunities to protect their reputation or job security.
Solution: Reframe failure as data rather than verdict. Research from Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck confirms that individuals who view challenges as learning opportunities rather than tests of inherent ability persist longer and achieve higher levels of mastery. Seek environments that embrace intelligent risk-taking and extract lessons from setbacks.
Leaders often overestimate their capabilities in areas requiring development or remain blind to their impact on others. This self-assessment gap impedes effective development targeting.
Solution: Systematically gather feedback from multiple sources, engage executive coaching for objective perspective, and cultivate mindfulness practices that enhance self-observation. The most effective leaders maintain what psychologists call "accurate self-assessment"—realistic understanding of strengths, limitations, and impact.
Leadership development falters when organisations fail to provide:
Solution: If organisational support proves limited, take personal ownership of your development. Seek experiences outside your current organisation (through board service, professional associations, or community leadership), invest personal resources in development, and consider whether your organisation aligns with your growth aspirations.
Perhaps the most insidious barrier involves believing that leadership capability remains fixed—that some people possess innate leadership qualities whilst others don't. This belief becomes self-fulfilling, as leaders who doubt their developmental capacity avoid the very experiences that would cultivate their abilities.
Solution: Study the neuroscience of brain plasticity, examine evidence of leadership development, surround yourself with growth-oriented individuals, and commit to small experiments that demonstrate your capacity for change. Success builds on success, with early wins strengthening your confidence in developmental possibility.
Effective measurement enables continuous improvement whilst demonstrating programme value to stakeholders.
The most direct measure of leadership development success involves observable behavioural changes:
Research indicates that organisations tracking behaviour change report 39% higher programme effectiveness than those focusing solely on participation or satisfaction metrics.
Leadership development ultimately exists to drive organisational performance. Key indicators include:
Beyond individual and team metrics, organisations assess whether leadership development builds capabilities essential for strategic execution:
Forrester's research examining leadership development subscriptions found organisations improved employee retention by 12% and significantly enhanced strategic capability delivery.
Absolutely. The same neuroplasticity enabling skill development also governs skill atrophy. Neural pathways strengthen with use and weaken with disuse—neuroscientists describe this as "use it or lose it" and "use it to improve it."
Leaders who cease applying particular competencies—perhaps moving into roles emphasising different capabilities—often find those skills deteriorating. A leader transitioning from operational to strategic focus may discover their team-building capabilities diminishing without conscious maintenance.
Maintaining Leadership Capabilities: Effective leaders deliberately practise competencies even when their current role doesn't demand them, volunteer for diverse assignments maintaining skill breadth, and periodically return to foundational challenges that reinforce core capabilities.
Emotional intelligence—the capacity to recognise, understand, and manage emotions in yourself and others—proves fundamental to leadership effectiveness. Daniel Goleman's research demonstrates that emotional intelligence accounts for nearly 90% of what distinguishes high performers from peers with similar technical skills.
The encouraging news: emotional intelligence represents a highly developable capability. Unlike IQ, which remains relatively stable throughout adulthood, emotional intelligence strengthens through:
Mindfulness practices increasing awareness of emotional states and triggers
Active listening developing empathy and understanding of others' perspectives
Emotional regulation techniques managing responses under pressure
Relationship building enhancing social skills and collaborative capability
Feedback integration understanding your emotional impact on others
Research published in The Journal of Applied Psychology found that leaders participating in emotional intelligence development programmes demonstrated measurable improvements within six months, with sustained gains over multi-year follow-up periods.
Leadership development requirements shift as individuals progress from managing themselves to leading others to leading organisations. Effective development strategies reflect these distinct capability requirements.
Focus areas include:
Frontline managers typically struggle most with the transition from doing to leading, requiring substantial support as they develop these foundational capabilities.
Development emphasises:
Research indicates mid-level leaders face unique pressures as they translate strategy into operations whilst developing team capabilities, requiring particular attention to resilience and stress management.
Executive development prioritises:
The Centre for Creative Leadership's research demonstrates that executives develop most effectively through high-stakes decisions, major crises, and significant organisational change initiatives—experiences requiring considerable support and coaching.
Absolutely. Research demonstrates that introverts and extraverts develop equally effective leadership capabilities, though often expressed differently. Introverts typically excel in one-to-one coaching, deep listening, and thoughtful strategic analysis, whilst extraverts may gravitate toward group motivation and external relationship building. Susan Cain's research in Quiet: The Power of Introverts highlights numerous highly successful introverted leaders who leveraged their natural strengths whilst developing complementary skills.
Most individuals observe initial changes within 3-6 months of focused development effort, with measurable improvements evident within 6-12 months. However, developing deep expertise requires sustained commitment over several years. The key lies in consistent practice rather than intensity—regular application of new approaches yields superior results to sporadic bursts of development activity. Studies show that leaders engaging in daily micro-practices demonstrate faster skill acquisition than those attending occasional intensive programmes without ongoing application.
Self-awareness consistently emerges as the foundational capability enabling all other leadership development. Leaders unable to perceive their impact on others, recognise their development needs, or acknowledge their limitations struggle to grow effectively. Begin by gathering comprehensive feedback, engaging in reflective practices, and developing mindfulness capabilities. From this foundation, prioritise skills most relevant to your current role and upcoming transitions, focusing development energy where it creates maximum impact for your organisation and career.
Research overwhelmingly confirms positive ROI when programmes include experiential application, ongoing coaching, and senior leadership engagement. Studies report returns ranging from £3-11 for every pound invested, with average ROI of £7. However, programmes focusing solely on classroom learning without application opportunities demonstrate limited effectiveness. The determining factors include programme quality, organisational support for skill application, and participant commitment to behavioural change. Organisations should assess programmes against evidence-based design principles and track behavioural outcomes rather than satisfaction scores.
Digital platforms enable effective leadership development when designed thoughtfully. Successful virtual programmes incorporate interactive simulations, peer learning cohorts, action learning projects applied in participants' roles, and virtual coaching sessions. Research during recent years confirmed that blended approaches—combining digital content with experiential application and relationship-based learning—achieve outcomes comparable to in-person programmes. The key lies in active engagement rather than passive content consumption, with virtual peer accountability groups and application assignments proving particularly effective.
Career transitions—whether promotions, lateral moves, or industry changes—require conscious effort to maintain existing capabilities whilst developing new ones. Effective strategies include seeking roles or projects that utilise established strengths, maintaining relationships with former colleagues who can provide continuity, engaging coaches who can help navigate transitions, and deliberately practising competencies even when your new role doesn't immediately demand them. Leaders who volunteer for diverse assignments or community leadership roles maintain broader skill sets than those focusing narrowly on current role requirements.
Executive coaching accelerates development by providing objective perspective, structured accountability, and personalised guidance through challenges. Research examining coaching effectiveness found 86% of organisations achieved positive ROI, with participants demonstrating sustained behavioural improvements and enhanced performance. Coaching proves particularly valuable during leadership transitions, when developing specific competencies, or when addressing blind spots identified through feedback. The coaching relationship's effectiveness depends on participant readiness, coach competency, and clear development objectives rather than vague aspirations for general improvement.
Leadership skills can be developed—this isn't aspiration but established fact, confirmed by neuroscience, validated by research, and demonstrated by countless individuals who've transformed their leadership capabilities. The question isn't whether development proves possible but whether you'll commit to the deliberate practice, challenging experiences, and sustained effort that transformation requires.
Your brain's remarkable plasticity provides the biological foundation. The 70-20-10 framework offers the strategic blueprint. The evidence demonstrating substantial returns—for individuals, teams, and organisations—supplies the business case. What remains is your decision to embrace the journey.
Begin where you stand. Seek one stretch assignment this quarter. Cultivate one developmental relationship this month. Implement one deliberate practice routine this week. Leadership development doesn't require dramatic gestures; it demands consistent small actions compounding over time.
The leaders you admire weren't born fully formed. They developed their capabilities through precisely the experiences, relationships, and practices now available to you. Your leadership potential awaits discovery and cultivation—not passive waiting but active development.
The question isn't whether leadership skills can be developed. The question is: what will you do today to develop yours?