September 18, 2025

Leading in the context of today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous times demands leaders to be high road leaders who can bring people together for the good of all people, not the current leadership examples at all levels of the U.S., and in the world bent on dividing people for the sole purpose and benefit of the leader and their allies, who are low road leaders. Leading in this context calls for leaders in all organizations, from churches to schools and multinationals, to intentionally build the collective capacity by developing leaders. Leadership experts like John Maxwell and Mark Miller note that the primary role of leaders is to develop more leaders. This makes a lot of sense; leadership is a choice to develop one’s leadership practice and then share it, developing new leaders in the process. This is especially true with the current leadership situation in the U.S. and the world. Leadership is a choice to elevate all people and accomplish good things. These two elements do not occur separately or happen over time; they are intertwined and mutually interdependent. An intentional leadership development program would seem to be a given in any organization. This program would not be one-shot training; it would be intentional programs to develop leadership throughout the organization. A deliberate leadership development program is an investment in collective capacity for the future of the organization and its long-term success and sustainability, as well as agility to pivot in the changing context of the times. To benefit others beyond the organization.

While many organizations recognize and report the critical importance of intentional leadership development and a dire need to develop more leaders, relatively few offer a fully integrated, research-driven systemic approach to building leader capacity. While leadership development is a stated priority for nearly 95% of businesses, only about 5% have integrated leadership programs across all organizational levels. A Korn Ferry 2025 survey reveals that 78% of organizations offer some form of leadership character development. Yet, fewer than 40% provide a structured and intentional program focused on building broader leadership capacity, but not at all levels of the organization. As a result, 71% of executives say their organizations still face significant leadership skills gaps. Elizabeth Wengarten, in a 2023 article for the Association for Talent Development, writes, “How Top Companies Get Results from Leadership Development Programs,” and asks, “What does it mean to be strategic at a time when the world and work are changing constantly?” How do we equip leaders with the new skills they need to address our most significant challenges? What does the future of leadership development look like, and how is it already evolving?.. With enhanced expectations of our leaders, leadership development programs are more critical than ever. But in many organizations, these programs are stuck in the past. They develop a narrow set of skills and leverage outdated and often ineffective teaching methods. It’s not surprising that, according to research from i4cp, 67 percent of executives say their leadership development programs don’t work.

This Thursday’s leadership article is the first of a two-part series that addresses this foundational element of collective capacity in the context. That element is an intentional leadership development framework. This first article will focus on the effectiveness of current leadership development models, as well as the cost of poor leadership and the benefits of deliberate leadership development. Ten elements of an effective intentional leadership development model to empower all people and achieve results for the greater good.will be shared. The second article in this series will focus on a practical and actionable framework for intentionally developing high road leaders by focusing on the three C’s of leadership development: Core, Capacities, and Context.

In April 2025, the KornFerry article Leadership Development Trends to Build a Future-Forward Mindset the authors write, “In 2025, adaptability, collaboration, and authentic leadership are key for leadership success. The Korn Ferry’s Workforce 2025 Global Insights Report, which examined attitudes affecting employee sentiment, emphasized the growing need for leaders to be agile learners, inclusive visionaries, and tech-savvy innovators.

By embracing these trends, organizations can develop the kind of leaders who are well-prepared to navigate tomorrow’s challenges and drive organizational resilience. One of the five trends is Embedding a Culture of Continuous Learning Within Leadership Development Programs, noting that “Continuous learning is a top priority for job seekers and a key factor in retention.” In the U.S., 78% of respondents to the Korn Ferry Workforce 2025 Survey said that learning opportunities are a reason they stay with their organization. The study further notes that organizations should promote a culture of learning to help leaders and employees stay current and adapt to challenges. Leaders who commit to ongoing personal and professional development set a positive example for their teams. Global workers have an appetite for learning across all age groups, emphasizing its universal importance.

By promoting curiosity and innovation through regular knowledge-sharing sessions, organizations can cultivate a learning culture. This benefits individual leaders and fosters a more informed and innovative team culture.

Companies should also make learning a part of daily workflows and performance reviews. This ensures that learning is not just an occasional activity but a continuous process that empowers leaders to excel in their roles.”

Intentional leadership development provides a measurable return.

1. A recent SHRM study showed that every dollar spent on professional development had a 7-dollar return.
2. A 2025 meta-study found 59% of organizations report improved employee retention due to structured leadership programs, with engaged leadership linked to 21% higher profitability.
3. The Center for Creative Leadership’s research documents statistically significant positive changes in negotiation, self-awareness, resilience, learning agility, and communication among program participants, with impacts observed months after the training.
4. Formal leadership programs improve role clarity, coaching capacity, and strategic thinking, with 30–40% performance improvements in foundational leadership competencies.
5. Companies with future-focused, intentionally designed leadership development are faster and more effective in upskilling for change-readiness and workforce agility, critical in the current business environment.
6. Gallup finds that organizations investing in leadership and employee development are twice as likely to retain employees. Companies with strong leadership programs perform 25% better than their peers and are 2.3 times more likely to outpace their competitors financially.

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The cost of poor leadership

1. Gallup reports that poor leadership leads to low engagement, high turnover, and diminished trust in management. Gallup further reports in its 2025 State of the Workforce report that only 29% of workers fully trust their managers.
2. Poor leadership or inadequate leadership development costs organizations as much as 7–10% of annual revenues.
3. Gallup estimates American companies lose $630 billion annually to poor management, primarily through disengagement and turnover.
4. Ineffective leadership is responsible for up to 32% of voluntary turnover; replacing an employee can cost one to two times that employee’s annual salary.SHRM reports a flat replacement cost of 50,00.

5.82% of workers have considered leaving their jobs due to poor leadership, and low engagement caused mainly by inadequate leadership represents an 11% drop in global GDP.

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Elements of Powerful Leadership Development

Today, leadership development must be intentional, interactive, and integrated into all levels of the organization to build collective capacity. An article in Coaching for Good, “Leadership Development: Trends, Statistics, and Best Practices,” authored by Kim Garmany, lists five crucial elements of effective intentional leadership development. These elements are listed below, plus other research-based components noted from research on effective leadership development programs.

1. Develop a systematic program framework of leadership development applicable to all levels of the organization and dedicated to providing value
2. Start with empathy, awareness, and humility to foster connections and build relationships to enhance connection, engagement, and learning with leaders at all levels of the organization.
3. Tailor programs to address candidates’ learning needs and integrate different facets of learning by training, coaching experience, and mentorship
4. Adopt a blended learning approach using technology, hands-on and internal leadership, and external coaches and training
5. Offer leadership development at all levels
6. Align the program to the organization’s values and mission, adding value to all.
7. Provide dedicated leadership to focus on supervision of the leadership development program development plan.
8. Provide communication at all levels to invite participation
9. Periodically seek input and review progress
10. Use review data and survey input to make adjustments as needed, communicating and overcommunicating adjustments and celebrating wins.

The research described in this article highlights that, while organizational leaders overwhelmingly recognize the need for intentional leadership development, a significant implementation gap persists, resulting in substantial costs to companies in terms of dollars, employee engagement, and long-term viability. The development of deliberate leadership development programs, built on research-backed models and the ten elements noted above, with a leadership development framework focused on core values, growing capacity, and responding to context, will create collective capacity in leadership and create meaningful change in leaders and organizations. By moving beyond chance and crafting an intentional, ongoing process anchored in the Three C’s, organizations can develop leaders and build collective capacity for future-ready success.

The Leadership Questions for you are ;

What actions will you choose to develop leaders in your leadership practice?

What is the state of intentional leadership development in your organization?