Innovative approaches to leadership development

Imagine for a moment being in a role you absolutely love. One that taps into your natural talents and passions, where you’re not just progressing but genuinely growing. Picture working with a team that’s just as passionate, having the time to think deeply and act intentionally, while still enjoying a healthy, fulfilling life outside of work.

Does it sound like a dream?

It might feel like that at first.

But what if life is supposed to be like this? What if doing work that we love and excel at is how it’s meant to be? Enjoying our lives, thriving in our relationships, and staying healthy. Imagine if, early on, someone had guided us to discover the life that truly suits us and taught us the skills to make it a reality.

That’s where leadership comes in. Both self-leadership and leading others. Let me explain.

Leadership is all about leverage

Leadership is, at its core, about leveraging the resources available to achieve a goal. And it doesn’t take a genius to see that organisations are more successful when their people are healthy, happy, and contributing positively to society. That’s why the role of leadership, whether for yourself or others, boils down to three things: (1) Creating a compelling vision; (2) Crafting a realistic plan; and (3) Building environments where people can truly thrive.

A different approach to leadership development

As mentioned in part one, traditional leadership development has often been formulaic and limited. Typically, it’s reserved for the most senior leaders – the people already responsible for shaping the environments where we thrive or falter.

Frankly, that’s madness. Who would hand the controls of a plane to someone and then send them to flight school? It’s also ineffective. It doesn’t equip leaders to tackle modern challenges or enable them to lead lives where they, and their teams, can truly thrive.

It’s time to rethink leadership development – the what, the how, and the when.

Starting with the ‘what’

In over 25 years of working with organisations to develop their leaders, I’ve noticed most conversations start with a list of desired skills. This makes sense – skills shape behaviour, and behaviour drives results.

The problem? Focusing solely on skills isn’t enough to create meaningful change or prepare leaders for today’s challenges. To succeed, leaders need two things: a foundation of transformative knowledge and a new set of skills to apply it effectively.

And no, this isn’t about industry or role-specific knowledge. It’s about foundational insights that fundamentally shift how leaders experience life and approach leadership.

The power of transformative knowledge

Extraordinary leadership happens when people operate from their unique strengths. It starts with understanding the kind of leader you’re meant to be, how to harness your personal power, and how to foster environments where others can do the same.

It’s about understanding concepts like:

• Living inside out vs. outside in – recognising that how we respond to situations shapes our experience, not the events themselves.
• Harnessing the mind – using it as a tool to work for us, not against us, to shape our feelings and the environments we create.
• Embracing different perspectives – realising our opinions are shaped by our life experiences, just as those who disagree with us are shaped by theirs.

This kind of knowledge builds resilient, curious, and adaptable leaders who can navigate change and uncertainty with confidence.

Pairing knowledge with essential skills

Once this foundation is in place, leaders can develop the skills to create meaningful impact, such as:

• Building intentional relationships across distances, cultures, and time zones.
• Leading through constant change by letting go of old ideas and envisioning new possibilities.
• Creating environments of genuine wellbeing, not just ticking boxes for ‘managed wellbeing’.
• Balancing transformational leadership with the demands of day-to-day operations.

These skills are vital, but they only work when grounded in deep, transformational understanding.

The ‘how’ of leadership development

Creating leaders who thrive requires a new approach to learning interventions. Here’s what it takes:

1. Making it personal
   Leadership begins with leading yourself. To become the leader you’re meant to be, you need to deeply understand who you are – your talents, passions, values, and beliefs. It requires courage to face your behaviours, both good and bad, and to confront the excuses holding you back.
2. Encouraging people to ‘choose in’
   Leadership development must be a choice. Forcing participation leads to disengagement. When people are invited to opt in, and prove they’re ready to invest in their growth, they bring a different level of energy and openness to learning. This creates a community of courageous learners who drive change within your business.
3. Radical support, radical challenge
   True growth requires environments of both psychological safety and brave honesty. Leaders need to feel safe enough to question their thinking and behaviours while being challenged to experiment with new approaches. This demands expert facilitators who can balance support and challenge effectively.
4. Making it relevant now
   Leadership development must address real, current challenges. Traditional programmes often feel abstract and disconnected. But when learning tackles live issues, leaders gain clarity and learn to make better choices in the moment, embedding new behaviours through practice.
5. Integrated, multi-dimensional learning
   Modern learning should reflect the way we consume information – through videos, books, podcasts, and more. But professional development must also be woven into the organisation’s fabric. Leaders need networks, platforms, and systems to integrate their learning into daily work.

And the ‘when’?

The time to develop leaders is now. At every level. In schools, universities, and workplaces. Before promotions, after promotions, and throughout their careers.

Leadership development isn’t a linear path. You don’t need to wait until someone is 38 to teach them about teamwork or navigating change. These life-changing lessons should run through an organisation as a cultural backbone, providing a shared language and approach that supports a future-ready leadership culture.

Leadership is a way of being

Leadership isn’t a title or a level – it’s a mindset. To meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, it must permeate every layer of your organisation. This requires rethinking how you develop talent and embedding leadership into the core of your culture.

It’s time to act. Your leaders, and your organisation, are ready for something extraordinary.