A little secret that is quite there in leadership development, but nobody talks about it. It is that many leadership development programs fail. You have read this just right, that most programs fail to get their objectives.

This is even though 80 percent of the companies viewed leadership development as the higher priority in the recent 2019 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends report.

There are many reasons why leadership development programs fail, and some of them will be listed below. Most people forget what they have learned as soon as the program finishes. It is very extensive research that shows that all people forget 70% of the new information in 24 hours.

So the managers return to work after the training ends and nothing changes. They get stuck in the day-to-day activities and can not perform as expected.

So what are the reasons why leadership development programs fail? Let us find the main reasons below:

Identifying The Clear Point Of View Or Objective

Context is the main key. One size won’t fit all. Most organizations invest in the off-the-shelf programs or send their managers to academic leadership courses provided by well-respected universities without considering the five Ws, i.e., who, when, what, where, why.

Companies have to ask themselves what the desired result is and how it will relate to the specific organizational goals.

Right People And The Right Time

One of the main things that all of the people falling into the leadership programs should know that leadership development is not for all. A few employees in any organization are ready, and a few aren’t. Ultimately, the old saying ‘what you put in is what you will get out’ plays a major role in success.

Surveys and many interviews may help narrow down the focus for those that must be part of this kind of program when and why.

Application Is The Key

A leadership development course can use an endless amount of possible curriculum from emotional intelligence and developing the coaching styles to employee onboarding, project execution, and debriefing. And, of course, a lot more than that. That is the good news here. But there are only a few challenges also to avoid.

Without having any in-depth needs of analysis, the organizations may choose the wide cross-section of the learning modules, which sound great but do not necessarily complement each other or have a right on the jo applications.

Measure The Outcomes

All of the leadership development courses are worth the investment of time and the resources needed to be fun and highly engaging. Otherwise, it is only one more piece of work that people have taken on.

Participants need to look forward to it greatly. That being said, a few programs or the team-building experiences companies invest in are only that. Fun at the moment but has no actual or lasting impact on the organization or the individual. Team building and social interaction are highly important, but there should be some measurable elements in ita s well.

Be Okay In Being Uncomfortable

In SEAL training, arguably the most brutal of special operations training and selection programs in the world, the instructor will tell you to be okay in being uncomfortable. Being a successful leader is a lifelong journey.

We are all humans, and we all make mistakes, get distracted and behave quite inconsistently, and damage trust. But the best leader is the one that knows how to grow out of these things and always rise higher.

Conclusion

These were the reasons why leadership development programs fail. You may also be having similar issues in your organization, but the solutions are always there as well.

We all fantasize about reading people from their eyes, their movements, and anything that they do. This is because it makes us feel like having the upper hand over them. Are you one of such people as well? So why not get to know 5 such psychological tips using which you will be able to read people within no time at all?

Let’s get started:

1. Be Objective And Have An Open Mind

The first thing you need to know about reading anyone instantly is to be observative and open-minded. Before you start reading people, you should first have a good practice of having an open mind. Do not let your emotional flows get in the way of your opinions and impression.

If you are going to judge people easily, it will make you misread people. Be objective in approaching each interaction and situation. 

2. Pay Attention To Appearance

Try noticing people’s appearance. What are they having as their outfits? Are they wearing their outfit for success that indicates their ambitions? Or are they only wearing T-shirts and jeans that give them comfort?

Do they have a pendant that has a cross sign or a sign of Buddha on it to show their spiritual values? All these signs will let you know how they feel in their head and the driving force they harbor in their hearts and mind?

3. Pay Attention To Their Posture

The posture that someone stays in talks a lot about his or her attitude. If they have their head high, then it means they are confident. If they are walking cower or indecisively, it might be a sign of low self-esteem. 

4. Watch Their Physical Movements

A lot more than words, people show their feeling by using movements. For example, we will lean towards the ones we like and stay away from those we don’t. If they are leaning in and if their hands are open and out, this is a good sign they connect with you. If you have seen that people are leaning away, they don’t want to connect up with you. 

5. Try Reading Facial Expressions

Mostly anything that people feel in their hearts is evident on their faces. Seldom does anyone fully get successful in keeping their feelings from showing on his or her face. If you observe deep frown lines taking shape, the person is worried or overthinking. While on the opposite, if the person has smile lines forming, he is happy and excited. 

All of us humans observe all these psychological tips. We only need to keep an open eye in observing people and getting to know their hearts absorbed in and how they are working on the daily grind.

You will easily spot the differences between when people are having a good day and when they feel sad through only a short analysis.