What is working in leadership development?
July 21, 2026
Today's edition of The Leader’s Digest is a little different. Instead of my usual musings, I'm sharing something I've been working on quietly for the past six months: my new research report, Beyond the Workshop.
Six months ago, I had an itch I needed to scratch.
What works (and what doesn't) when it comes to leadership development in Aotearoa New Zealand? I'd seen organisations invest huge amounts of time and money into growing their leaders, but I suspected that (in some cases at least) much of it was being wasted.
I wanted to understand: what truly sticks? What shifts the dial when it comes to growing good leaders in New Zealand? And what mistakes are organisations making with this crucial investment?
So I went looking for answers. I interviewed 31 Chief People Officers and Heads of Learning & Development across Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. I paired what they told me with a review of the global research.
And the message that came through was remarkably consistent. In fact, 29 of the 31 leaders I spoke to said the same thing: leadership development only works when it's embedded into everyday work, not delivered as standalone workshops.
And as one participant put it, "Nobody remembers a seven-pillar model."
Inside the report you'll find:
- Why workshops alone rarely create sustained behaviour change.
- What it takes to embed leadership development into everyday work.
- Why direct manager support is critical.
- Why frontline and first-time leaders are a high leverage capability gap.
- Why simple, practical tools outperform complex models.
- How to measure contribution without forcing ROI.
- What works in the New Zealand and Australian context.
This is the information I wished existed years ago. I'm excited to share it with you so you can build the leaders your organisation, and your people, need and deserve.
Ngā mihi nui,
Suzi
