Explore what leadership training helps one to achieve: enhanced decision-making, 25% better performance, stronger emotional intelligence, and accelerated career growth.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Thu 27th November 2025
Leadership training helps one to develop essential capabilities that transform both professional effectiveness and personal growth. At its core, leadership development equips individuals with strategic thinking, enhanced communication, emotional intelligence, and the confidence to guide others towards shared objectives. These competencies extend far beyond the workplace, influencing how we navigate relationships, make decisions, and respond to life's inevitable challenges.
Research substantiates what many leaders intuitively recognise: participants who undergo leadership training demonstrate a 25 per cent increase in learning capacity and a 20 per cent improvement in overall job performance. Perhaps more significantly, they exhibit a 28 per cent increase in leadership behaviours and contribute to an 8 per cent improvement in subordinate performance. The ripple effects, it seems, extend well beyond the individual.
Yet leadership development remains curiously misunderstood. Too often, organisations view it as a reward for high performers rather than a strategic investment in capability. Too often, individuals pursue training seeking techniques and tactics when the deeper work involves understanding themselves. As the ancient Greek aphorism inscribed at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi proclaimed: "Know thyself." Two millennia later, this remains the foundation upon which all leadership capability rests.
The most profound benefit of leadership training may be the least visible: the development of self-awareness. Looking at over 50 years of leadership research, self-awareness has been identified as one of the four essential leadership skills every leader needs. Among these fundamental competencies, self-awareness proves the most challenging to develop—yet it unlocks all others.
Self-awareness in leadership means possessing a strong realisation of one's personality, including strengths and weaknesses, emotions, beliefs, and motivations. For leaders, this translates into understanding:
When you become more self-aware and practise emotional intelligence-building skills regularly, you become a more effective leader who makes better decisions with increased empathy. The leader who knows their own tendencies can compensate for blind spots, leverage strengths appropriately, and create environments where others thrive.
Emotional intelligence—the ability to recognise and positively manage emotions in yourself, others, and groups—represents a powerful component of effective leadership. Harvard's Professional and Executive Development programme emphasises that understanding emotional intelligence improves self-awareness, increases accountability, fosters communication, and builds trusting relationships.
Leadership training develops emotional intelligence through four interconnected pillars:
| Competency | Definition | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Self-awareness | Recognising one's emotions and their effects | Understanding how mood influences meetings |
| Self-management | Regulating disruptive impulses | Remaining composed during crises |
| Social awareness | Sensing others' emotions and concerns | Reading team dynamics accurately |
| Relationship management | Inspiring and influencing others | Building coalitions for change |
Johnson & Johnson exemplifies organisational commitment to emotional intelligence, emphasising it as a key leadership development and employee engagement strategy. Their programmes systematically cultivate these competencies, recognising that technical expertise alone cannot produce effective leaders.
"Emotional intelligence is no longer a 'soft skill' but a core leadership competency that drives meaningful, sustainable success." — Training Industry
Leadership training helps one to develop the confidence necessary to guide teams, make difficult decisions, and represent ideas compellingly. This confidence emerges not from bravado but from competence—the deep assurance that comes from having frameworks, skills, and experience to draw upon.
Emotional intelligence training creates confident leaders who know the direction they need to lead their team and take decisive action. A good leader makes people feel valued and confident; a poor leader irritates people and makes them feel uncomfortable. Analysis consistently shows that feeling valued, confident, inspired, enthused, and empowered are the key emotions that lead to engagement.
Confidence in leadership manifests through:
The great British explorer Ernest Shackleton demonstrated such confidence when his Antarctic expedition became stranded. His crew survived against impossible odds partly because Shackleton projected unwavering belief that they would return home—a confidence grounded not in denial of their circumstances but in his leadership capability.
Effective programmes build confidence through progressive challenge and reflection:
The confidence developed through leadership training differs qualitatively from mere assertiveness. It combines competence with humility—the assurance to lead with the wisdom to listen, the courage to decide with the openness to learn.
Leadership training helps one to make better decisions more consistently. In an era of information overload and accelerating change, the ability to analyse situations, weigh options, and commit to courses of action distinguishes effective leaders from those who merely occupy leadership positions.
Leadership training enhances decision-making by developing skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and risk assessment. Through effective programmes, individuals learn how to make sound decisions quickly and effectively, ensuring that choices rest on data and evidence rather than personal biases and opinions.
Key decision-making competencies include:
The difference between trained and untrained leaders often emerges most clearly in crisis situations. Where untrained leaders may freeze, react impulsively, or defer indefinitely, trained leaders apply frameworks that enable purposeful action amidst uncertainty.
Leadership training's impact on decision-making creates measurable organisational benefits:
| Outcome | Improvement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Overall job performance | 20% increase | Leadership development research |
| Leadership behaviours | 28% increase | Post-training assessments |
| Team performance | 8% improvement | Subordinate evaluations |
| Employee engagement | 55% higher | Trained leader comparison |
| Staff retention | 29% improvement | Organisational studies |
These statistics illuminate a crucial point: improved decision-making at the leadership level cascades throughout organisations. When leaders make better choices about strategy, resource allocation, and people, the effects multiply across every function and level.
Perhaps no leadership capability matters more than communication. Leadership training helps one to articulate ideas compellingly, listen actively, provide constructive feedback, and build the coalitions necessary to achieve significant objectives.
Leadership training helps enhance communication within organisations by promoting active listening and understanding of different viewpoints, as well as techniques for giving and receiving feedback. Beyond these fundamentals, comprehensive programmes develop:
Winston Churchill understood that leadership operates through language. His wartime speeches did not merely inform the British public; they shaped reality, creating resolve where despair might have prevailed. Whilst few leaders face such existential challenges, the principle applies universally: leaders who communicate effectively create possibilities that poor communicators foreclose.
Influence extends beyond formal authority. Leadership training develops influence through:
The most influential leaders often appear least concerned with influence. They focus on outcomes, relationships, and value creation, allowing influence to develop as a natural consequence of their approach.
Leadership training helps one to advance professionally, opening doors that might otherwise remain closed. Organisations actively seek employees who demonstrate leadership potential when making promotion decisions, and participation in development programmes signals commitment to growth.
According to a survey of Harvard Business School Online learners, 42 per cent reported that their compensation increased by an average of $17,000 after earning their certificate. Additionally, 16 per cent received bonuses, with an average increase of $14,000. These figures suggest that the investment in leadership development yields tangible financial returns.
Beyond compensation, leadership training accelerates careers through:
The career benefits extend beyond immediate promotion prospects. Leaders who invest continuously in their development remain relevant as organisational needs evolve, avoiding the plateaus that trap those who rely solely on past achievements.
Another significant benefit of leadership training is the boost it provides to career advancement opportunities. Many organisations look for employees who show leadership potential when making promotion decisions. By participating in leadership and professional development programmes, professionals signal to their employers that they are committed to growth and ready to take on greater responsibilities.
Organisations increasingly view leadership development as:
| Perspective | Implication for Participants |
|---|---|
| Investment indicator | Signals high-potential identification |
| Succession preparation | Positions for future roles |
| Cultural alignment | Demonstrates commitment to values |
| Capability building | Proves readiness for advancement |
| Retention strategy | Creates opportunities to satisfy ambition |
Leadership training helps one to build and guide high-performing teams. Employees with trained leaders are 55 per cent more engaged, and companies with robust leadership training report 29 per cent higher employee retention. These statistics reflect a fundamental truth: leadership quality shapes the experience of everyone within a leader's sphere of influence.
Leadership training can significantly boost an organisation's performance by enhancing leaders' skills. It cultivates a strong leadership culture, resulting in improved team morale, higher productivity, and better decision-making. This domino effect strengthens organisations, making them more resilient, innovative, and competitive.
Trained leaders improve team performance through:
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus observed that character is destiny. For teams, leadership is destiny. The same group of individuals will perform dramatically differently depending on how they are led—a reality that underscores the organisational value of investing in leadership capability.
Employee engagement correlates strongly with organisational outcomes:
Leadership training that improves engagement thus addresses multiple organisational priorities simultaneously. The leader who learns to create engaging environments delivers value far exceeding the cost of their development.
Leadership training helps one to think strategically—to see beyond immediate pressures and consider longer-term implications, competitive dynamics, and systemic connections. This capability distinguishes leaders who merely manage operations from those who shape the future.
Strategic thinking involves:
Leadership training develops these capabilities through frameworks, case studies, and exercises that challenge habitual thinking patterns. Participants learn to question assumptions, consider alternatives, and think several moves ahead.
Strategic thinking need not be reserved for annual planning retreats. Trained leaders apply strategic perspective to daily decisions:
The Duke of Wellington reportedly said that the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton—suggesting that the discipline and strategic thinking developed in youth shaped military capability in adulthood. Similarly, strategic thinking developed through leadership training manifests in countless small decisions that collectively shape organisational trajectories.
Leadership training helps one to grow as a person, not merely as a professional. The skills developed—self-awareness, emotional regulation, communication, decision-making—enhance every domain of life, from family relationships to community involvement to personal wellbeing.
Leadership development training helps you grow professionally and can also help you focus on personal goals and objectives. By cultivating a positive attitude and work ethic, leadership development training positions you for success in the workplace and your personal life.
Personal benefits include:
These benefits often surprise participants who approach leadership training with purely professional motivations. The person who learns to manage difficult conversations at work discovers the same skills transform discussions with teenagers at home.
Leadership training develops a comprehensive skill set including strategic thinking, decision-making, communication, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and team management. Participants learn to motivate and inspire others, solve problems creatively, and guide teams towards achieving goals. The specific skills emphasised vary by programme, but most address self-awareness, relationship management, and organisational effectiveness.
Immediate improvements in confidence and communication often emerge during training. Behavioural changes typically become evident within weeks of programme completion, whilst deeper shifts in emotional intelligence and strategic thinking develop over months. Research indicates participants show a 25 per cent increase in learning and 20 per cent improvement in job performance following quality programmes.
Leadership training benefits anyone who influences others, regardless of formal position. Individual contributors, project leads, and aspiring managers all gain from developing leadership capabilities. Many organisations now provide leadership development throughout their workforce, recognising that leadership opportunities exist at every level.
Introverts often benefit enormously from leadership training, which helps them leverage their natural strengths—thoughtful analysis, deep listening, and considered communication—whilst developing complementary capabilities. Many highly effective leaders are introverts who have learned to lead authentically rather than by imitating extroverted models.
Leadership training investments range from free online resources to premium executive programmes costing tens of thousands of pounds. Mid-range options include professional certificates (typically £2,000-5,000), company-sponsored programmes, and university-based offerings. The most appropriate investment depends on career stage, organisational support, and specific development needs.
Select programmes based on demonstrated outcomes, faculty expertise, learning methodology, and alignment with your development goals. Consider whether you need foundational skills or advanced capabilities, whether you prefer cohort-based or individual learning, and whether the programme's philosophy aligns with your leadership values. Speak with past participants when possible.
Leadership training supports career transitions by developing transferable skills, expanding professional networks, and building confidence for new challenges. The strategic thinking, communication, and relationship capabilities developed through quality programmes apply across industries and roles, making them valuable assets for career changers.