Leadership development is the ongoing process of building the knowledge, behaviours and practical skills required for people to lead teams effectively. Training can be delivered through coaching and other wellbeing initiatives, often provided by an EAP or third-party service, and helps leaders and managers develop their skills in team management. Leaders are often the first person employees turn to for support. Supporting this, Randstad reports that 78% of employees have a strong relationship with their line manager. However, leaders can also face uphill battles, especially when it comes to employee wellbeing, soft skills, and emotional intelligence. ACAP University states:
65% of Australian workers believe their manager has inadequate soft skills
39% said their manager doesn’t have emotional intelligence
3.4 million Australian employees said they dislike their manager
While these statistics paint a strong picture of the struggles leaders can face, with training and support, leaders can develop the skills to build positive professional relationships and increase performance and productivity. In this guide, we’ll explore what leadership development programs are, their benefits, and why they’re an essential investment for modern organisations.
Leadership Development at a Glance: Key Benefits
Reviewed by Marylise Talbot, Executive Director of Digital, on 3 August 2026.
Builds leadership capability and improves communication.
Develops emotional intelligence and supports organisational performance.
Helps retain talent and strengthens people management.
What Is Leadership Development Training?
Leadership development training is a strategic framework and process, designed to enhance the behaviours, capabilities, confidence, and judgement of a leader. Manager training works to provide leaders with the skills to guide, inspire, and influence their team members. Equally, leadership development helps organisations prepare leaders to manage organisational change, uncertainty and workforce transformation.
Unlike training leaders in administrative skills, leadership development training aims to equip leaders with complex interpersonal and strategic capabilities, such as:
- Emotional intelligence
- Managing wellbeing
- Performance management
- Strategic thinking
- Effective communication
Each part of a leadership development program is designed to drive long-term organisational success, talent retention, and workplace productivity.
Leadership Training vs Leadership Development
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, leadership training and leadership development have different objectives. Leadership training typically focuses on building specific knowledge or competencies over a short period, while leadership development is a longer-term process that combines training, coaching, practical experience and continuous feedback to build lasting leadership capability. Most organisations benefit from combining both approaches, using leadership training to build specific competencies within a broader leadership development strategy.
| Leadership Training | Leadership Development |
|---|---|
| Builds knowledge and specific skills | Builds long-term leadership capability |
| Usually delivered as short-term courses or workshops | Ongoing learning journey supported by coaching and practical experience |
| Focuses on knowledge transfer | Focuses on behavioural change and leadership growth |
| Develops competency in individual topics | Develops confidence, judgement and leadership effectiveness |
| Often delivered as standalone training | Combines workshops, coaching, mentoring, workplace application and ongoing feedback |
Benefits of Leadership Development Training for Organisations
Effective leadership development delivers benefits that extend well beyond individual managers. When leaders build practical skills and confidence, organisations experience stronger people management, healthier workplace cultures, improved communication, and greater capability to navigate change. Leadership development programs also provide leaders with the opportunity to strengthen their confidence in managing the more complex aspects of people management, including employee wellbeing.
According to organisational psychologist and Converge’s National Learning Solutions Manager, James Sclater, the benefits of leadership development programs include:
Leaders are equipped with practical tools and opportunities to apply their learning in real-world workplace situations.
Leaders can undertake training through digital learning, group coaching, face-to-face workshops and eLearning, providing flexibility while encouraging participation, engagement and knowledge adoption.
Leadership development programs build structured peer accountability and shared learning through group coaching, enabling leaders to learn from experienced facilitators as well as one another.
Leadership development also helps leaders build the confidence and capability to navigate challenges including time management, employee wellbeing conversations, performance management, trust and influence.
Following participation in one of Converge’s Leadership Development Programs, leaders gave the experience an average evaluation score of 8.81 out of 10, while 94% agreed their facilitator was a subject matter expert. These outcomes demonstrate that when leadership training is delivered by experienced practitioners, leaders are more engaged and better equipped to apply what they’ve learned in the workplace.
Unlike one-off training sessions, leadership development programs provide a structured pathway that reinforces learning through ongoing practice, coaching and reflection. This helps leaders build lasting capability that benefits both their teams and the wider organisation.
How to Develop Leadership Skills in Employees
While organisations continue developing existing leaders, they should also invest in future leaders. That’s why organisations should develop leadership skills in their employees through stretch assignments, formal mentoring programs, continuous feedback and structured self-reflection. In addition, employees should be urged to cultivate their emotional intelligence, active listening skills, and ability to delegate tasks. Leadership development also supports succession planning by preparing emerging leaders for future management and executive roles.
Leadership isn’t just about developing yourself; it’s also about developing others. As leaders grow, they should also be responsible for helping others develop through coaching, feedback and mentorship. Leaders should always be providing feedback to growing employees, offering guidance, constructive feedback and recognition as employees build these skills.
How to Build a Leadership Development Framework
A leadership development framework is a structured process organisations use to develop leadership capability across their workforce. It typically combines on-the-job experience, coaching and mentoring, formal leadership development training, and regular feedback to help employees build the confidence and practical skills needed to become effective leaders. The following framework outlines four core components of successful leadership development.
Provide extra responsibilities and promote cross-functional collaboration
- Encourage employees to take on responsibilities outside their comfort zone. Encourage collaboration across departments so that staff can gain a broader understanding of the organisation and how it functions.
- Ask employees to facilitate meetings or lead different aspects of meetings or brainstorming sessions to promote growth and confidence. Organisations should also empower employees to make autonomous decisions on smaller projects.
Implement a coaching and mentoring program
- Pair employees with experienced managers so they can learn more about their leadership styles, how they’ve grown their skills, and gather insights, career advice, and help shape their professional development.
- Similarly, create a peer coaching program where employees can challenge one another, set clear and achievable goals, discuss ideas openly, and promote accountability.
Provide structured training
- While employees work towards on-the-job experience, organisations should also provide a formal leadership development program. This could include workshops and group coaching to build capabilities in change leadership, conflict, and strategic thinking.
- Source a training and development program where training is not only provided by an experienced trainer or organisational psychologist but also delivered in flexible and convenient modalities. This could include self-directed, in-person, virtual, hybrid, or eLearning delivery.
Self-reflection and ongoing feedback
- Embed a system of continuous feedback loops so staff members can monitor and track their progress. This also helps them identify their strengths and weaknesses, and opportunities for skill building.
- Feedback loops can include 360-degree feedback where input is provided by peers, mentors, and colleagues, all of which is designed to increase self-awareness. Additionally, encourage employees to read and listen to leadership books, podcasts and other professional development resources, and reflect on their successes and pitfalls through journaling.
8.81/10
training participant evaluation score (Converge)
Key Components of an Effective Leadership Development Program
Not all leadership development programs deliver lasting results. A leadership development framework provides the structure, but the quality of the program determines whether leaders successfully build, apply and sustain new capabilities. Effective programs go beyond one-off workshops by combining practical learning, coaching, ongoing development and measurable outcomes.
”"Leadership isn't a single skill set to be taught once—it's a capability that evolves with every career stage. A maturity-based approach ensures leaders get the right development at the right time, building excellence that compounds rather than a one-size-fits-all program that quickly becomes outdated."
Brett WebbConverge’s National Psychosocial Risk Manager
When evaluating a leadership development program, look for these key components:
- Alignment with organisational goals: The program should support your organisation’s strategic objectives, leadership capability requirements and workplace culture, ensuring development efforts contribute to broader business outcomes.
- Development of essential leadership capabilities: Effective programs build practical skills in emotional intelligence, communication, people management, decision-making, strategic thinking, conflict resolution and leading through change.
- Practical workplace application: Learning should extend beyond theory, giving participants opportunities to apply new skills through workplace scenarios, case studies, collaborative activities and real leadership challenges.
- Personalised coaching and expert facilitation: Individual coaching, group coaching and feedback from experienced facilitators help leaders translate learning into day-to-day leadership behaviours while supporting their ongoing growth.
- Continuous learning and measurable progress: Leadership development should be an ongoing process supported by digital learning, reflection, peer learning, regular check-ins and evaluation to reinforce behavioural change and measure development over time.
94%
Converge subject matter expert evaluation rating
Creating a Leadership Culture That Supports Organisational Success
Leaders learn from those around them, and especially those above them in more senior leadership roles. As such, senior leadership teams should always strive towards creating a lasting culture that supports organisational success while also prioritising employee wellbeing. A leadership development program will work in parallel and help shape and build a positive and successful company culture. However, senior leaders also need to play their part. This includes:
- Shifting towards shared ownership through delegation, empowerment, and problem solving.
- Modeling positive behaviours such as leading by example and aligning with organisational values.
- Cultivating psychological safety through transparent communication and turning ‘failures’ into mistakes that pose an opportunity to learn and grow.
- Fostering and promoting ongoing growth through mentorship, recognition and reward.
Common Leadership Challenges and How Development Training Helps
Managers face a wide range of leadership challenges, from low productivity to declining team morale. This can be compounded if the leader does not have the skills and capabilities to overcome these challenges.
Some of the challenges that leaders may face in their day-to-day roles can include:
- Time management
- Wellbeing conversations
- Performance management
- Building trust in diverse teams
- Influencing stakeholders effectively
With the right approach, leaders can overcome their hurdles and achieve their goals through supportive and development-focused training programs, and ongoing EAP and leadership support. Leadership development training helps managers effectively prioritise, delegate, and create accountability.
Converge data also highlights that leaders are regularly and proactively seeking support from their EAP to build stronger leadership skills. Some of the main reasons we saw leaders approach us for Manager Support in FY25 were:
Emotional resilience
Leadership and communication style
Managing challenging behaviours
Management of team issues
Strategic and operational planning
Managing mental health issues
Source: Converge International de-identified service data, FY25. Figures reflect recorded presenting issues and service activity across Converge’s Australian EAP network. Individuals may present with more than one issue.
Measuring the Success of Leadership Development Programs
To measure the success of your leadership development program, you must track the progress of the participants. For example, has team morale increased since training? Have there been fewer escalations since the leader underwent training? Ultimately, manager training helps leaders build the core competencies to excel in their role. As such, here are some of the key areas you should reflect on to measure the success of your training program:
- Ability to make informed decisions
- Ability to work autonomously while also collaborating with other stakeholders
- Ability to confidently handle people management issues
- Ability to handle setbacks and conjure innovative and strategic solutions
You should also track team metrics, including employee engagement scores, decreases in staff turnover, and higher productivity. You must, however, allow the leader to grow in their role. While training is crucial, confidence and practical application can take time, so monitor the ROI of your program over time.
Choosing the Right Leadership Development Programs in Australia
An effective leadership development program should also be designed around specific organisational goals. This should include blended learning, practical experience, and continuous coaching. When reviewing a leadership development program, you should consider whether the program goes beyond standard training. Australian organisations should also consider local workplace context; psychosocial-health obligations; culturally appropriate delivery; access across dispersed or hybrid workforces.
Similarly, you should consider whether the program strives to build long-term skills in emotional intelligence, people management, inspiring performance, and strategic thinking. Here are the key components of a leadership development program:
Strategic alignment
The program you invest in should align to the organisation’s strategic goals and support the overarching objective and culture of the organisation.
Building core skills
Leaders need to build core skills in emotional intelligence, soft skills, decision-making, strategic thinking and conflict resolution. An effective leadership development program should address each of these capabilities.
Real-world, practical application:
Leaders must be able to apply their new skills in real workplace environments. This can include hands-on projects, assignments, and case-studies.
Coaching
The program should include ongoing coaching and personalised feedback for participants at every leadership level, from emerging leaders through to senior executives. This feedback should be personalised and tailored to the leaders and organisational development goals.
Learning and evaluation
Leaders within the leadership development training should have access to ongoing learning resources, as well as regular check-in meetings to discuss progress.
When implementing or selecting a leadership development program, organisations should avoid these common mistakes:
- Treating leadership development as a one-off training event
- Promoting managers without leadership skills
- Not providing coaching
- Measuring attendance instead of behaviour
- Failing to align programs with business goals
Leadership development is one of the most valuable investments an organisation can make in its people and long-term success. By combining practical training, coaching and real-world application, organisations can build confident leaders who create stronger teams, healthier workplace cultures and better business outcomes. Discover how Converge’s Leadership Development Programs help organisations build leadership capability that lasts.
Why you should explore Leadership Training through your EAP
Leadership Development isn’t just delivered by specialist training providers. Many Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) also provide tailored leadership development and manager training. An established EAP provider may already understand your organisation’s context, workforce needs and the common pressures leaders are experiencing. This places your EAP in a unique position to deliver leadership development that strengthens leadership capability while supporting employee wellbeing and psychologically healthy workplaces. At Converge, we offer tailored Leadership Development packages that present measurable learning outcomes. Here is why you should consider Converge for your Leadership Development training:
Monitor and track outcomes through EAP cases and reported issues
Existing awareness of the EAP provider can reduce engagement barriers.
An established foundation of confidentiality and workforce trust
Proven adoption and participation
Whether you’re reviewing your current EAP provider or exploring leadership development programs for your organisation, our team can help you build a tailored solution that aligns with your leadership goals.
Frequently Asked Questions about Leadership Development Programs
What is leadership development?
Leadership development is the process of building the knowledge, behaviours and practical skills leaders need to effectively guide, influence and support their teams. It combines leadership development training, coaching, mentoring, practical workplace experience and ongoing feedback to strengthen capabilities such as communication, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking and people management.
How do you build leadership capability in teams?
Leadership capability is built by combining practical experience with structured development. This includes providing stretch assignments, mentoring and coaching, formal leadership development training, continuous feedback and opportunities to apply new skills in real workplace situations. Organisations should also create a culture that encourages learning, accountability and ongoing growth.
What is a leadership development program?
A leadership development program is a structured learning pathway that helps current and future leaders develop the skills needed to lead people effectively. Programs typically combine workshops, coaching, mentoring, digital learning, practical workplace application and ongoing evaluation to build long-term leadership capability rather than delivering one-off training sessions.
What are leadership development workshops?
Leadership development workshops are facilitator-led training sessions designed to strengthen leadership skills through practical learning and discussion. Workshops often focus on topics such as emotional intelligence, communication, conflict resolution, strategic thinking, performance management and leading through organisational change.
Who should attend leadership development training?
Leadership development training is suitable for emerging leaders, frontline managers, experienced leaders and senior executives looking to strengthen their leadership capability. It is also valuable for employees identified as future leaders who are preparing to step into management roles.
What skills are taught in leadership development programs?
Leadership development programs typically build skills in emotional intelligence, communication, people management, strategic thinking, decision-making, conflict resolution, performance management, leading through change, employee wellbeing and influencing others. Effective programs also help leaders apply these skills confidently in everyday workplace situations.
How do leadership development programs improve performance?
Leadership development programs improve performance by equipping leaders with the skills to communicate effectively, make better decisions, manage people confidently and create high-performing teams. Stronger leadership contributes to improved employee engagement, healthier workplace cultures, greater productivity and better organisational outcomes.
What is a corporate leadership development program?
A corporate leadership development program is a leadership training initiative designed to meet an organisation’s strategic objectives and leadership capability needs. These programs are typically tailored to the organisation’s culture, leadership framework and business goals while helping leaders build the practical skills required to lead effectively across the business.
How do you measure leadership development success?
Leadership development success can be measured by evaluating changes in leadership capability, employee engagement, team performance and organisational outcomes. Organisations often assess improvements in communication, decision-making, people management, employee feedback, productivity, retention and participants’ ability to apply their learning in the workplace.
What are the best leadership development programs in Australia?
The best leadership development programs in Australia combine practical workplace learning with coaching, mentoring, facilitated workshops and flexible digital learning. Rather than focusing on theory alone, effective programs align with organisational goals, build essential leadership capabilities, provide opportunities to apply new skills and include ongoing coaching and evaluation to support long-term behavioural change.
