Articles / Why Do a Leadership Course? The Business Case for Development
Development, Training & CoachingDiscover why you should do a leadership course. Learn the ROI of leadership training, key benefits, and how to choose the right programme for your career.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Wed 31st December 2025
Should you invest time and money in a leadership course? Research provides a compelling answer: organisations see an average return of $7 for every $1 spent on leadership development, with some programmes generating returns as high as $11 per dollar invested. For individuals, leadership training correlates with faster promotion, higher earnings, and greater career satisfaction.
Yet leadership courses represent significant investments. Executive programmes at leading business schools cost thousands of pounds. Even internal company training requires time away from productive work. Understanding why leadership courses deliver value—and how to maximise that value—helps ensure your investment pays returns commensurate with its cost.
Research consistently demonstrates positive returns from leadership development:
| Study | Finding |
|---|---|
| BetterManager | Average ROI of $7 for every $1 invested; range of $3-$11 |
| First-time manager training | 29% ROI in three months; 415% annual return |
| International Coaching Federation | 86% of organisations saw ROI on coaching engagements |
| Corporate Leadership Council | Companies with comprehensive training see 218% higher income per employee |
These returns stem from multiple sources: improved leader performance, better team results, increased retention, and reduced costs from leadership failures.
Globally, organisations invest an estimated $60-370 billion annually in leadership development. This massive expenditure reflects several business imperatives:
1. Performance improvement
Research shows 42% of respondents observed increased revenue and sales following leadership development. Better leaders produce better results—a straightforward calculation that justifies significant investment.
2. Retention enhancement
Employees with ineffective managers are five times more likely to consider leaving than those with strong leadership. Leadership development reduces turnover costs whilst preserving institutional knowledge and team cohesion.
3. Succession preparation
Organisations require continuous leadership pipeline development. Training current managers prepares them for expanded roles, ensuring smooth transitions when senior positions require filling.
4. Engagement elevation
Companies in the first quartile of employee engagement demonstrate 21% higher profitability than lowest-quartile competitors. Leadership quality directly influences engagement levels.
5. Competitive positioning
In knowledge economies, leadership capability becomes competitive advantage. Organisations with superior leadership depth outperform competitors who underinvest in development.
Beyond organisational returns, leadership courses benefit participants personally:
Career acceleration:
LinkedIn Learning found that 94% of employees would stay longer at companies investing in their development. Leadership training signals high-potential status and creates advancement opportunities.
Skill development:
Courses develop specific capabilities—communication, strategic thinking, conflict resolution—that enhance effectiveness regardless of role or organisation.
Network expansion:
Quality programmes connect participants with peers facing similar challenges. These networks provide ongoing support, learning, and career opportunities.
Confidence building:
Structured learning builds confidence to tackle leadership challenges. Knowing frameworks and approaches reduces anxiety when facing unfamiliar situations.
Self-awareness deepening:
Good leadership courses include assessment and feedback components that reveal blind spots and development priorities.
Credential acquisition:
Certifications and programme completion credentials signal capability to current and future employers.
Leadership curricula typically address core competency areas:
| Competency Area | Topics Covered |
|---|---|
| Self-leadership | Self-awareness, emotional intelligence, personal effectiveness |
| People leadership | Communication, motivation, coaching, feedback |
| Team leadership | Team building, delegation, conflict resolution |
| Strategic leadership | Vision, strategy, change management, decision-making |
| Organisational leadership | Culture, influence, stakeholder management |
The specific emphasis varies by programme level. Emerging leader courses focus more on self and people leadership; executive programmes emphasise strategic and organisational dimensions.
Consider leadership training when you observe:
1. Promotion or role expansion
New responsibilities require new capabilities. Stepping into management from individual contribution, or into senior leadership from middle management, creates skill gaps that training addresses.
2. Performance plateaus
When your results level off despite continued effort, capability limitations may constrain performance. New approaches and frameworks can unlock further growth.
3. Team challenges
Persistent team issues—conflict, turnover, underperformance—often reflect leadership rather than team member problems. Development may resolve what feels like a team issue.
4. Feedback patterns
Consistent feedback identifying leadership gaps signals development needs. If multiple sources identify similar issues, training may help.
5. Career aspirations
If advancement requires leadership capability you don't yet possess, proactive development prepares you for opportunities before they arise.
6. Confidence gaps
Uncertainty about handling leadership situations indicates areas where structured learning could build capability and confidence.
Timing matters. Leadership courses prove less effective when:
The ideal timing combines development need, opportunity to apply learning, and organisational receptivity to changed behaviour.
Leadership development spans multiple formats:
1. Executive education programmes
Business school offerings ranging from short courses to extended executive MBAs. High cost, high prestige, strong networks.
2. Corporate training programmes
Internally developed or externally delivered training tailored to organisational context. Variable quality; best programmes customise significantly.
3. Online courses
Digital platforms offering flexibility and scale. Range from free content to comprehensive certification programmes.
4. Coaching engagements
One-to-one development focused on individual challenges. Highly personalised but expensive for organisation-wide deployment.
5. Action learning programmes
Learning through real project work with facilitated reflection. Strong application connection; requires organisational commitment.
6. Peer learning groups
Structured cohorts addressing common challenges. Combines external perspective with contextual relevance.
| Format | Strengths | Limitations | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive education | Prestige, networks, quality faculty | Cost, time away, generic content | Senior leaders, credential seekers |
| Corporate training | Contextual relevance, peer learning | Variable quality, limited external perspective | Organisation-wide development |
| Online courses | Flexibility, cost, breadth | Limited interaction, self-discipline required | Self-motivated learners, specific skills |
| Coaching | Personalisation, depth | Cost, scalability | Executives, specific challenges |
| Action learning | Application, real impact | Organisational commitment required | High-potential leaders, strategic projects |
| Peer groups | Ongoing support, practical focus | Requires facilitation, commitment | Experienced leaders, continuous development |
Effective leadership courses share characteristics:
Evidence-based content:
Quality programmes ground teaching in research rather than opinion. Ask what evidence supports programme claims.
Experiential learning:
Adults learn through experience. Look for simulations, case studies, and practical exercises rather than lecture-only formats.
Assessment and feedback:
Self-awareness requires external input. Strong programmes include 360-degree feedback, personality assessments, or other diagnostic tools.
Application planning:
Learning that stays in the classroom fails. Quality programmes require participants to plan specific applications and follow through.
Qualified facilitators:
Instructor credibility matters. Look for combinations of academic expertise and practical leadership experience.
Appropriate level:
Programmes designed for executives frustrate emerging leaders; those designed for new managers bore experienced executives. Match programme level to your development stage.
Questions to assess programme quality:
Participants who extract maximum value:
Before the programme:
During the programme:
After the programme:
Common failure modes include:
| Failure Mode | Description | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| No application opportunity | Learning without practice fades | Ensure leadership role or stretch assignment |
| Unsupportive culture | Environment blocks behaviour change | Engage manager and stakeholders |
| Wrong programme fit | Mismatch between needs and content | Assess carefully before enrolling |
| Passive participation | Attending without engaging | Commit to active involvement |
| Isolated learning | No reinforcement after programme | Plan follow-up activities |
| Overconfidence | Assuming course attendance equals development | Focus on behaviour change, not completion |
The 70-20-10 model suggests leadership development comes from:
This framework doesn't diminish formal training's value. Rather, it contextualises courses within broader development systems. The 10% often provides frameworks and language that make the 70% and 20% more effective.
"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." — John F. Kennedy
Effective development combines all three elements. Leadership courses work best when complemented by challenging experiences and supportive relationships.
A structured decision process:
Step 1: Clarify development needs
What specific leadership capabilities do you need to develop? Based on what evidence?
Step 2: Explore options
What courses, programmes, or alternatives address your needs? What do they cost in money and time?
Step 3: Assess timing
Is this the right moment? Do you have opportunity to apply learning? Is your organisation receptive?
Step 4: Evaluate ROI potential
What benefits might result? How confident are you in realising them? Does the potential return justify the investment?
Step 5: Make commitment
If proceeding, commit fully. Partial engagement yields partial results.
Leadership development doesn't require formal courses:
Books and self-study:
Extensive literature addresses leadership development. Self-directed learning works for motivated individuals.
Mentoring relationships:
Experienced leaders can provide guidance, perspective, and challenge. Less structured than courses but highly personalised.
Stretch assignments:
Challenging experiences develop capability faster than classroom learning. Request projects that push your boundaries.
Peer groups:
Informal networks of leaders facing similar challenges can provide support and learning without programme structure.
Coaching:
Individual coaching addresses specific challenges with high personalisation. More expensive per person but highly effective.
360-degree feedback:
Assessment without full training programmes can identify priorities for self-directed development.
Research consistently demonstrates positive returns from leadership development, with studies showing average returns of $7 for every $1 invested. However, value depends on programme quality, participant engagement, and application opportunity. Courses work best when they address genuine development needs, use evidence-based methods, and participants commit to applying learning. Poorly chosen or passively attended courses waste investment.
The best leadership course depends on your specific needs, career stage, and learning preferences. Executive education programmes from leading business schools offer prestige and strong networks. Online platforms provide flexibility and breadth. Corporate programmes offer contextual relevance. Coaching provides personalisation. The "best" course is the one that addresses your development priorities through methods suited to your learning style.
Leadership courses range from single-day workshops to multi-year executive MBAs. Longer programmes generally provide deeper development but require greater investment. Short courses suit specific skill development or broad exposure; extended programmes suit career transformation or comprehensive capability building. Match duration to development goals—don't over-invest for narrow needs or under-invest for fundamental change.
Online leadership courses can be effective when well-designed and actively engaged. Research shows digital learning can match classroom effectiveness for knowledge acquisition. However, online formats may limit interpersonal skill practice, network building, and experiential learning. Blended approaches combining online content with face-to-face interaction often prove most effective.
Look for evidence-based content grounded in research, experiential methods including simulations and case studies, assessment and feedback tools that build self-awareness, application planning that ensures learning transfer, qualified facilitators with both academic and practical credibility, and appropriate level matching your career stage. Also consider peer quality, ongoing support, and organisational reputation.
The right time combines development need, application opportunity, and organisational receptivity. Consider courses when facing role transitions, performance plateaus, persistent team challenges, consistent feedback indicating gaps, or career aspirations requiring new capabilities. Avoid training during active crises, immediately before major changes, or when organisational culture won't support behaviour change.
Build a business case demonstrating how training addresses organisational priorities. Connect your development to team performance, retention, succession planning, or strategic initiatives. Reference research on leadership development ROI. Propose specific programmes with clear learning objectives. Offer to share learning with colleagues, multiplying organisational benefit. Frame the request in terms of organisational return rather than personal benefit.
The question "Why do a leadership course?" has multiple answers. For organisations, leadership development improves performance, reduces turnover, builds succession pipelines, and creates competitive advantage. For individuals, courses accelerate careers, develop valuable skills, expand networks, and build confidence.
Yet these benefits don't materialise automatically. Programme quality matters: evidence-based content, experiential methods, qualified facilitators. Participant engagement matters: active involvement, application planning, ongoing practice. Organisational context matters: opportunity to apply learning, receptivity to changed behaviour, supportive culture.
The research is clear: leadership can be developed, and development investments pay returns. But development requires investment—not just of money, but of time, attention, and willingness to change. Passive course attendance produces certificates, not capability.
For those willing to engage fully, leadership courses provide frameworks that organise experience, language that enables communication about leadership, peer networks that provide ongoing support, and structured reflection that accelerates learning. The 10% of formal training catalyses the 70% of experiential learning and 20% of social learning that ultimately build leadership capability.
Whether a leadership course is worth it depends ultimately on you: your commitment to development, your willingness to apply learning, your openness to feedback and change. For those who approach development seriously, the evidence strongly supports investment.
As research consistently demonstrates, every pound spent on leadership development returns multiples in organisational value. But the ultimate beneficiary is you—more capable, more confident, more effective in roles that matter. That return justifies investment regardless of what the organisational ROI calculates.
The question isn't really whether to invest in leadership development. It's when, how, and how seriously. The leaders who shape tomorrow's organisations are developing today. The only question is whether you'll be among them.