21 Science-Based Facts About Leadership and Leadership Development Training

Are you an executive who is trying to wrap your mind around the impact leadership development training has on your employees and staff?

If so, you’ve come to the right place. What follows are 21 science-based facts about the value and impact of leadership development training in your organization.

• The need for training and development is growing: 80% of survey respondents in a recent study from Emory University said that the need for training and development is greater today than it was 5 years ago. This is driven, in part, by the growing need to attract and retain employees. (Source: https://unspokenrules.live/leadership/leadership-development-training-research/)
• The starting point for good leadership is self-awareness: Great leaders have a high degree of awareness about themselves and their impact on those around them. Interested in learning more about yourself? The PrinciplesUs.com personality profile is a great place to start. And noted psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman has also developed a fun and simple test using the letter Q to help you gain small insights about yourself. (Source: https://www.medicaldaily.com/richard-wiseman-experimental-psychologist-devises-simple-test-determine-whether-youre-good-liar)
• Quality training programs increase employee retention rates: Companies that have implemented a program that invests in training and talent management have reached an employee retention rate of 50%. (Source: https://www.getadministrate.com/training-insights-report/enterprise-training-in-2022/?submissionGuid=14af0db6-29b5-406c-9f15-02c7e378544e)
• Most organizations provide regular leadership development training: 21% of those surveyed “always” have ongoing training and development programs. 48% have them “somewhat regularly” while the rest have them “occasionally” or “never.” (Source: https://unspokenrules.live/leadership/leadership-development-training-research/)
• Leadership development training increases learning capacity and performance in employees: Studies showed that employees who received leadership development training increased their learning capacity by 25% and their performance by 20%. (Source: https://www.apollotechnical.com/leadership-statistics/)
• It’s getting harder to attract new employees: With 79% of survey respondents saying it was harder to attract employees today than it was 5 years ago, companies need to retain their employees with quality training. (Source: https://unspokenrules.live/leadership/leadership-development-training-research/)
• Top leadership development programs help attract top talent: As attracting new employees becomes more difficult, offering quality leadership development programs can help draw in the best employees. (Source: https://unspokenrules.live/leadership/leadership-development-training-research/)
• Training and developing budgets are increasing: 54% of those surveyed expect to see an increase in their budgets within the upcoming year, leaving more opportunity for better training and development programs. (Source: Training and developing budgets are increasing: (Source: https://unspokenrules.live/leadership/leadership-development-training-research/)
• It’s also harder to retain existing employees: It’s not only becoming more difficult to attract new employees, 77% of survey respondents claim it is also harder to retain existing employees compared to 5 years ago. (Source: https://unspokenrules.live/leadership/leadership-development-training-research/)
• Gen Z employees are expected to change careers more frequently: Studies have shown that the rising generation of employees, Gen Z, are predicted to change careers up to 4 times within their lives. By providing quality leadership development training, employees are more likely to stay within the same company. (Source: https://www.getadministrate.com/training-insights-report/enterprise-training-in-2022/?submissionGuid=14af0db6-29b5-406c-9f15-02c7e378544e)
• Millennials are feeling they need more training: 69% of Millennials state that they do not feel as if their company is investing in them fully when it comes to leadership development. (Source: https://www.apollotechnical.com/leadership-statistics/)
• The value of leadership is increasing: Since 2011, the value of leadership quality from leaders in current organizations has increased from 34% to 48%. Many employees want to move forward within their company and develop new skills and leadership qualities.  (Source: https://www.apollotechnical.com/leadership-statistics/)
• Development training boosts company interaction: As the world continues to grow more technology focused, in-person training programs can help provide coworkers with an opportunity to connect and build company rapport.  (Source: https://www.getadministrate.com/training-insights-report/enterprise-training-in-2022/)
• Leadership development training provides a competitive advantage: According to the Bersin by Deloitte report, High-Impact Leadership Development, companies that have provided a strong foundation of leadership development are 11x more likely to have a significant number of employees within their company build competitive talent.  (Source: https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/why-leadership-development-is-important-4-reasons-to-invest/)
• Leaders inspire leaders: In the same study above, results showed that companies that offered a strong leadership program created employees that were 7x more likely to become a leader to someone else. (Source: https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/why-leadership-development-is-important-4-reasons-to-invest/)
• Leadership development is here to stay: Almost 95% of learning organizations plan to use their current level of investment or increase their level of investment in leadership development according to data from the Chief Learning Officer Business Intelligence Board. (Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chriswestfall/2019/06/20/leadership-development-why-most-programs-dont-work/?sh=32f5f06f61de)
• Developing new leaders is becoming more of a challenge: According to a recent survey, 55% of CEOs have stated that it has been difficult to develop the next generation of leaders. By providing leadership development training, there is more of an opportunity for growth within the next generation. (Source: https://www.apollotechnical.com/leadership-statistics/)
• The United States had 46.2% of training investments worldwide in 2020: With an estimated value of $357.7 billion worldwide in leadership training investments in 2020, America invested $165.3 billion into leadership training for their employees. (Source: https://www.apollotechnical.com/leadership-statistics/)
• It increases performance levels: The Global Leadership Forecast 2018 shows that companies that invest in leadership training for their employees are 4.2x more likely to perform at a higher rate than companies that do not invest in training for their employees. (Source: https://www.apollotechnical.com/leadership-statistics/)
• Many organizations want more: Over 77% of organizations report that they would like to receive more leadership development. (Source: https://www.apollotechnical.com/leadership-statistics/)
• Businesses claim they want to develop leaders: 83% of businesses say they want their employees to show characteristics of leadership at different levels within the company. (Source: https://www.apollotechnical.com/leadership-statistics/)
• Employees are worried for their future: 47% of respondents in a study claim they are worried there will be a shortage of leaders or executive-level employees in the future. (Source: https://www.apollotechnical.com/leadership-statistics/)

We are in a time where people are craving development and improvement in the workforce. Many Millennial and Gen Z employees are feeling as though they are not being challenged enough in their leadership development, causing them to seek employment elsewhere. Through the investment of leadership development, companies are given the opportunity to improve their corporation and raise the quality of their employees. 

About the Author: Jamie Turner is an internationally recognized author, professor, consultant, and speaker who has helped employees at The Coca-Cola Company, Holiday Inn, Microsoft, Verizon and others do a better job leading, managing, and mentoring others. To have him speak at your event or organization, email him at: Jamie@JamieTurner.Live