The Ultimate Guide to Leadership Development

Great leadership is built through consistent development, turning good leaders into catalysts for growth and innovation. Companies face ever-changing employee needs, economic shifts, and organizational challenges that require leaders who can adapt, inspire, and foster sustainable progress. Leadership development is not a one-size-fits-all solution—it’s a custom, iterative journey that evolves with your company.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about leadership development, the challenges organizations face, and how Talent Praxis tailors programs that deliver lasting results. Whether you’re experiencing growing pains or preparing for long-term scalability, we’ll guide you step-by-step through the process of empowering your leaders.

What Is Leadership Development?

Strong leaders aren’t born—they’re developed. Leadership development is about equipping individuals with the skills, mindset, and adaptability to guide teams and make strategic decisions. Organizations that prioritize leadership development create a culture of resilience and continuous improvement, ensuring they remain competitive and future-ready.

Leadership development can redefine your organization's future. Want more info? Check out: What is the purpose of leadership development?

When Should Organizations Invest in Leadership Development?

Waiting too long to develop leaders can be costly. If your company is facing high turnover, disengaged employees, or struggling to scale, leadership gaps could be the culprit. Addressing leadership development early allows businesses to navigate growth with confidence, adapt to change, and establish a strong foundation for long-term success.

Identifying the right moment to focus on leadership development can change your company’s trajectory. Unsure of the best timing? Check out: When is it time to invest in leadership development? 

How is a Leadership Development Program Created?

Building a leadership development program starts with understanding what the organization needs from its leaders, both today and in the years ahead. Effective programs don’t rely solely on classroom learning or abstract concepts. Instead, they weave together targeted learning experiences that reflect real business challenges, helping leaders develop the specific skills and mindsets required to drive the organization forward. This often includes a blend of coaching, training, collaborative projects, and opportunities to apply new skills in practical settings. Direct feedback loops and opportunities for reflection also play a critical role, ensuring participants continually refine their leadership approach as they gain experience. A well-structured program does more than teach leadership — it strengthens leadership culture across the organization, supports succession planning, and aligns leadership development with broader business goals.

A thoughtfully designed program lays the foundation for organizational success. Learn how to build one: How to create a leadership development program

Should Leadership Development be Proactive or Reactive? 

Some leadership development happens by design, while some happens out of necessity. Companies that proactively develop leaders cultivate a strong pipeline of future executives, while reactive leadership training helps organizations navigate unexpected challenges. The most effective approach blends both strategies to create adaptable, capable leaders.

Find out which approach works best for your business: Proactive vs. reactive leadership development strategies

What is the Role of Leadership Assessments?

Effective leadership comes from understanding one's strengths and continuously working on areas for growth. Leadership assessments promise to uncover leadership potential, highlight skill gaps, and shape development strategies, but if they’re not incorporated into a broader leadership strategy they risk becoming just another data point that never leads to action. 

So how do you structure and conduct assessments to gain actionable insights that guide training initiatives? Get the answer here: Are assessments helpful in leadership development?

What Are the Best Methods to Develop Leaders?

Not all leaders learn the same way. Some excel with one-on-one coaching that provides personalized guidance, while others thrive in collaborative workshops that encourage peer learning. Hands-on experiences like job rotations or stretch assignments help leaders develop critical thinking and adaptability in real-world situations. Online and asynchronous learning offer flexibility for busy professionals, while mentorship programs provide long-term growth through knowledge sharing. The most effective programs blend multiple approaches, ensuring leaders gain both theoretical knowledge and practical application tailored to their unique learning styles and career stages.

Learn about the variety of approaches available, how to identify which style will work for your team, and the best way to incorporate them here: Leadership development modalities

Why Hire an External Leadership Development Team?

Internal teams understand the company’s culture and operations, but external experts provide fresh insights, specialized expertise, and proven strategies that accelerate leadership growth. They introduce best practices, challenge internal blind spots, and equip leaders with skills that internal training alone may not fully address. A well-structured external program can drive meaningful change and enhance long-term leadership effectiveness.

Discover how external teams strengthen leadership development here: Why hire an external leadership development team?

How to Prepare for an External Leadership Development Team

Bringing in an external leadership development team can be a powerful step toward building stronger, more capable leaders, but that impact depends heavily on how well your organization prepares in advance. Clear goals should guide every stage, from selecting the right partner to defining what success looks like. Leadership development doesn’t happen in isolation, so securing buy-in from senior leaders and ensuring alignment with broader business priorities is essential. Preparation should also include a realistic assessment of your current leadership culture, identifying where gaps exist and where external expertise can add the most value. Establishing internal champions, creating space for ongoing feedback, and setting expectations with participants can further strengthen the program’s effectiveness. With thoughtful preparation, your organization can create the conditions for external experts to make a lasting difference.

Learn how to maximize the impact: How to get your company ready for an external leadership team

What Questions Should You Ask When Creating a Leadership Strategy?

A leadership development strategy is only as strong as the questions that shape it. What skills will tomorrow’s leaders need to navigate change? How do existing leadership gaps impact team performance and company growth? Which development approaches will create real, lasting improvement? The answers to these questions lay the foundation for a leadership program that not only meets today’s challenges but prepares your organization for the future.

Discover the essential questions that drive effective leadership development by reading: Questions we ask when creating a leadership development strategy

What are Common Challenges in Leadership Development?

Even the most well-designed leadership programs can fall short if key obstacles go unaddressed. Without executive buy-in, even the best initiatives struggle to gain traction. Training that feels too generic fails to resonate, leaving leaders disengaged. And without measurable outcomes, it’s impossible to track progress or demonstrate impact. Avoiding these common pitfalls is what separates a leadership program that transforms an organization from one that simply checks a box.

Check out this article to learn how to overcome these challenges and build a leadership program that delivers real results: What Makes a Leadership Development Program Succeed?

What are the Long-Term Benefits of Leadership Development?

Prioritizing leadership development benefits business in both the short-term and long-term  because capable leaders shape culture, drive performance, and prepare teams for the future. Companies that invest consistently in leadership development tend to see higher levels of employee engagement, stronger retention rates, and a leadership pipeline equipped to handle both planned transitions and unexpected changes. Over time, these programs also help shape a shared leadership mindset, where leaders at all levels understand how to align their decisions with the organization’s values and strategic goals. Well-developed leaders are better equipped to manage change, foster innovation, and create environments where teams feel empowered to perform at their best. The result is an organization that doesn’t just adapt to change but proactively drives it, staying competitive even as the business landscape shifts.

Discover more about the lasting benefits of leadership development: 8 Benefits of Leadership Development

Empower Leaders to Drive Organizational Success

Leadership development isn’t just a checkbox, it’s the foundation for sustained business growth, innovation, and resilience. Whether your company is preparing for expansion, navigating change, or strengthening its leadership pipeline, investing in a customized leadership development program will set you up for long-term success. At Talent Praxis, we partner with organizations to create tailored, high-impact leadership programs that drive measurable results. 

You’ve already built a great company. Now, let’s cultivate the leadership that will shape its next chapter.

When Is It Time to Invest in Leadership Development?

Leadership is a driving force behind an organization’s growth, innovation, and culture. When leadership is strong, teams thrive, productivity soars, and goals are met. But without effective leadership, companies can face stagnation, high turnover, and operational inefficiencies. The key question is: How do you know when it’s time to invest in leadership development?

At Talent Praxis, we help companies identify the early warning signs and opportunities to develop leaders who can meet evolving business needs. Here are the common indicators that signal it’s time to prioritize leadership development.

1. High Employee Turnover Rates

One of the most telling signs of leadership issues is an increase in employee turnover. Studies show that employees often leave companies because of poor leadership rather than compensation or workload. If you’re seeing high turnover, it may indicate that leaders are struggling to engage, inspire, or support their teams.

Signs to Watch For:

• Frequent exit interviews mentioning lack of direction or poor management.

• Low morale and engagement across departments.

• Difficulty retaining high-potential talent.

Solution: Investing in leadership development helps leaders create supportive environments, foster trust, and address employee concerns, reducing turnover and building loyalty.

2. Decline in Team Performance

When team productivity drops, deadlines are missed, and output quality suffers, leadership gaps could be a root cause. Leaders play a pivotal role in maintaining team motivation, setting goals, and resolving conflicts. If performance issues persist despite operational adjustments, it may be time to assess leadership effectiveness.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Missed project deadlines or revenue targets.

• Decreased productivity compared to previous periods.

• Increased conflicts within teams or departments.

3. Rapid Organizational Growth or Expansion

Growth brings opportunities—but it also introduces complexity. As companies expand into new markets, launch new products, or increase their workforce, leadership needs evolve. Without proper development, leaders may feel overwhelmed or underprepared to manage the growing demands.

Why It’s Critical:

• Leaders need to scale their management style to handle larger teams.

• Organizational changes require strategic vision and adaptability.

• Expansion can expose leadership gaps that previously went unnoticed.

Tip: Proactively developing leaders during periods of growth ensures they can navigate change, maintain team cohesion, and sustain performance.

4. Major Organizational Changes

Whether it’s a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or a shift to remote work, major changes test an organization’s leadership capacity. During these transitions, strong leadership is essential to communicate changes effectively, manage uncertainty, and align teams with new objectives.

Common Scenarios:

• Post-merger integration of teams and cultures.

• Launching a new product or entering a new market.

• Implementing new technologies or processes.

Solution: Leadership development programs during transitional periods equip leaders with change management skills, ensuring smoother transitions and less disruption.

5. Negative Feedback in Employee Surveys or 360 Reviews

Employee feedback is a valuable indicator of leadership effectiveness. If you’re receiving negative feedback through engagement surveys, 360 reviews, or performance evaluations, it’s time to dig deeper into leadership challenges. Common complaints may include lack of direction, poor communication, or insufficient support.

Warning Signs:

• Low scores in categories related to leadership or management.

• Comments pointing to unclear expectations or lack of support.

• Poor performance review results linked to leadership issues.

Tip: Use feedback to identify specific areas where leaders need support, such as improving communication, emotional intelligence, or strategic planning.

6. Difficulty Filling Leadership Roles Internally

If your company frequently hires external candidates for leadership roles because internal talent isn’t ready, it’s a sign that your leadership pipeline is underdeveloped. Organizations need strong succession planning to ensure that future leaders are ready to step up when needed.

Why It Matters:

• Internal candidates bring institutional knowledge and cultural alignment.

• Relying solely on external hires can slow down decision-making during transitions.

• Gaps in leadership pipelines can result in inconsistent management.

Solution: A leadership development program focused on building emerging leaders ensures you have a steady pipeline of qualified internal candidates.

7. Low Adaptability to Change

Adaptability is a core leadership trait. If your organization struggles to pivot, it could indicate that leaders lack the skills to manage change effectively.

Indicators of Low Adaptability:

• Resistance to new technologies or processes.

• Slow responses to market changes or competitor activity.

• High stress and confusion during periods of change.

8. Lack of Strategic Vision

When leaders focus solely on day-to-day operations without a clear long-term strategy, organizations risk stagnation. Effective leadership development ensures that leaders can balance immediate priorities with long-term planning, helping the company stay competitive and innovative.

Red Flags:

• Limited innovation or new initiatives.

• Reactive decision-making instead of proactive planning.

• Lack of alignment between team goals and organizational objectives.

Solution: Leadership development programs teach strategic thinking, allowing leaders to align their teams with the organization’s vision while planning for future success.

9. Low Employee Engagement and Motivation

Engaged employees are key to productivity, creativity, and retention. If engagement surveys reveal low motivation or dissatisfaction, it may be due to leadership deficiencies. Leaders who lack the skills to inspire, coach, or provide feedback can contribute to disengagement.

Warning Signs:

• Low participation in team meetings or company events.

• Declining productivity and creativity.

• High levels of absenteeism or “quiet quitting.”

Tip: Training leaders in communication, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution can help them re-engage their teams and create a positive work environment.

Recognizing the Right Time to Act

Leadership development is an investment that yields long-term benefits, from improved team performance to greater organizational agility. Recognizing the signs early allows organizations to address issues before they escalate, creating a foundation for sustained growth and success.

Are you noticing any of these signs in your organization? Partner with us to build a stronger, more resilient future for your organization.

Ensure Success: Get Your Company Ready for an External Leadership Development Team

Hiring an external team for leadership development can provide your organization with valuable expertise, scalability, and fresh perspectives. But to achieve optimal results, you must create the right environment for collaboration and ensure alignment between internal stakeholders and the external team.

Here’s how you can set your external team up for success and maximize the effectiveness of your leadership development program.

1. Define What Success Looks Like from the Beginning

Your external team will be most effective if they understand your objectives from the outset. Clearly communicate the leadership outcomes you want to achieve and establish success metrics to measure progress.

Steps to Define Clear Goals:

• Identify key areas for development: Are you focusing on emotional intelligence, strategic decision-making, or team leadership?

• Set measurable outcomes: Define specific goals, such as improving employee retention rates or increasing team productivity.

• Prioritize both short- and long-term objectives: Balance immediate needs with sustainable growth goals.

Example: If your goal is to improve leadership communication, a success metric could be a measurable increase in team engagement scores or positive feedback from employee surveys.

2. Secure Company-Wide Commitment to the Program

For an external team to succeed, leaders and employees within the organization must support the development initiative. Without internal buy-in, participation may be inconsistent, and desired outcomes could fall short.

How to Build Internal Buy-In:

• Involve key stakeholders early: Engage senior leaders in the planning process to demonstrate their commitment.

• Communicate the benefits: Highlight how the program will benefit both individual leaders and the organization as a whole.

• Address concerns: Be proactive in addressing any doubts or skepticism about the program.

At Talent Praxis, we partner with clients to conduct pre-launch discussions and workshops that build enthusiasm and create alignment among key stakeholders.

3. Collaborate on Customizing the Development Initiative

Your external team will have expertise in designing leadership programs, but they need your input to tailor solutions that fit your company’s unique culture and goals. Collaboration is key to building a program that resonates with participants.

How to Collaborate Effectively:

• Provide organizational context: Share information about your company’s mission, values, challenges, and culture.

• Co-create content: Work with the external team to ensure that training materials, case studies, and scenarios are relevant to your industry and organizational dynamics.

• Offer feedback regularly: Be prepared to review program components and suggest adjustments when necessary.

By collaborating with Talent Praxis, companies create leadership programs that reflect their values and priorities while incorporating innovative, research-backed techniques.

4. Provide Key Resources and Organizational Insights

Your external team will need access to key resources, including data, documents, and personnel, to fully understand your organization’s needs and develop a comprehensive strategy.

What to Provide:

• Leadership assessments and performance reviews: Help the external team evaluate current leadership capabilities.

• Organizational charts and business plans: Ensure they understand company structure and strategic objectives.

• Internal champions: Assign individuals within your company to act as liaisons, providing ongoing support and feedback.

At Talent Praxis, our process involves partnering with internal stakeholders to review existing performance data, ensuring that our customized plans address real challenges.

5. Establish Open Communication and Continuous Feedback

Effective communication between your organization and the external team is essential for identifying challenges early and making improvements. Regular check-ins help ensure that the program stays on track and meets evolving organizational needs.

Best Practices for Ongoing Communication:

• Set regular meetings: Weekly or biweekly check-ins allow for status updates and feedback.

• Create feedback loops: Encourage participants and internal stakeholders to share their experiences and insights.

• Track progress: Use performance metrics and qualitative feedback to measure success and make necessary adjustments.

Talent Praxis emphasizes iterative improvement, using participant feedback and performance data to refine leadership development programs continuously.

6. Create Early Wins to Build Momentum and Trust

To maintain enthusiasm and participation, aim for quick, measurable wins early in the program. Early success can create positive momentum and demonstrate the value of the program to skeptical participants or leaders.

How to Generate Early Wins:

• Set achievable short-term goals: Identify initial milestones, such as completing assessments or participating in workshops.

• Celebrate successes: Recognize participants who show measurable improvement or demonstrate new leadership behaviors.

• Share success stories: Communicate early wins to the organization to reinforce the program’s impact.

For example, a company working with Talent Praxis might start by implementing a short-term coaching program for emerging leaders and highlighting early improvements in their decision-making skills.

7. Encourage Flexibility and Adaptability

Leadership development is not static, and neither should your program be. The ability to pivot and adapt based on feedback, organizational changes, or external challenges is essential for long-term success.

How to Stay Adaptable:

• Monitor progress: Use both quantitative metrics (like performance data) and qualitative feedback (such as participant insights) to assess effectiveness.

• Iterate frequently: Be prepared to adjust training materials, timelines, or goals as needed.

• Stay aligned with organizational shifts: If your company undergoes changes (like mergers or market expansions), update the program to reflect new priorities.

At Talent Praxis, our iterative approach ensures that programs remain relevant and continue delivering value, even as organizational needs evolve.

8. Commit to Long-Term Growth

Leadership development isn’t a one-time event—it’s a continuous process that requires long-term commitment. External teams can help establish sustainable programs, but internal support and follow-through are crucial for lasting success.

How to Sustain Growth:

• Develop internal leadership champions: Train internal leaders to carry on the work after the external engagement ends.

• Document key learnings: Maintain a knowledge base of best practices and successful strategies.

• Schedule periodic reviews: Regularly evaluate and refresh the program to address emerging challenges.

Talent Praxis helps organizations build long-term leadership pipelines by embedding development practices into their company culture.

Achieve Long-Term Success Through Strategic Partnerships

Setting your external team up for success requires clear goals, collaboration, and ongoing communication. By fostering an environment of trust, adaptability, and support, you can ensure that leadership development initiatives deliver long-lasting, transformative results.

Ready to build a leadership development program that drives sustainable growth? Partner with us and let’s start building!

Why Hire an External Team?

Internal teams bring invaluable knowledge of your company’s inner workings, but sometimes growth requires perspectives that challenge the status quo. Hiring an external team unlocks access to specialized expertise, fresh ideas, and strategic insights, which enable your organization to achieve long-term, scalable success. Here are some reasons why hiring an external team may be the right choice for your organization.

1. Leverage Specialized Expertise to Drive Results

Hiring external experts allows organizations to skip the time-consuming process of building niche knowledge internally. Instead, you can tap into professionals who bring proven experience, frameworks, and solutions to the table.

Talent Praxis designs custom leadership development programs incorporating executive coaching, assessments, and actionable training tailored to address your company’s unique needs. By collaborating with external coaches, your team can adopt best practices faster, improving leadership effectiveness and driving measurable results without starting from scratch.

2. Uncover Blind Spots with Fresh, Objective Perspectives

Internal teams, while well-versed in company processes, can often develop tunnel vision due to organizational biases and existing workflows. External teams offer an objective perspective that uncovers inefficiencies, opportunities, and innovative solutions that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Through Talent Praxis’ tailored coaching programs, leaders benefit from unbiased feedback that helps them tackle obstacles head-on. This approach integrates assessments and personalized coaching plans to address challenges with clarity and actionable insights.

Tip: Involve external teams from the initial strategy meetings, not just during the review process. Early involvement maximizes their influence on key decisions and ensures comprehensive solutions.

3. Scale Your Business with Flexible, Custom Solutions

Whether your organization requires short-term assistance or a long-term strategic partnership, external teams offer the flexibility to scale resources up or down as needed. This agility helps control costs while ensuring you have access to the expertise necessary to meet evolving demands.

Setting clear milestones, timelines, and deliverables ensures that external collaborations remain focused and adaptable without compromising results. With external teams, you’re not locked into fixed commitments, giving you the freedom to adapt as priorities change.

4. Accelerate Growth and Implement Changes Swiftly

Internal teams often take time to learn and apply new skills, but external teams can accelerate this process by introducing established methods and frameworks. They provide immediate value by driving implementation faster, helping your organization achieve quicker returns on investment.

At Talent Praxis, our practical, coach-led training focuses on immediate application. Leaders gain actionable skills in areas like performance management and communication, allowing them to implement improvements right away. External teams don’t just teach, they drive real-time impact.

Tip: Pair external experts with internal leaders to create a mentorship system that ensures ongoing knowledge transfer, fostering long-term growth beyond the initial engagement.

5. Maximize ROI with Cost-Effective Expertise

While hiring an external team may seem like an upfront investment, it’s often more cost-effective than building new capabilities internally or hiring full-time specialists. External teams bring targeted solutions, reducing the time and resources needed to address challenges and achieve goals.

Talent Praxis offers flexible program options designed to maximize ROI, whether through one-time strategic consulting or ongoing leadership development. By avoiding internal development costs, companies gain access to expertise without inflating overhead.

Tip: Conduct a cost-benefit analysis by comparing the projected outcomes, such as increased productivity or reduced turnover, against the investment. Consider both measurable financial gains and intangible benefits, like improved morale or innovation.

6. Ignite Innovation and Drive Organizational Change

Internal change initiatives often face resistance due to entrenched company culture or legacy processes. External teams act as catalysts for innovation and transformation, providing the momentum needed to push through organizational barriers.

At Talent Praxis, we go beyond delivering training, we help build internal champions who sustain and reinforce positive change. By embedding key leadership practices, external teams ensure that improvements last well beyond the duration of the partnership.

Tip: Identify and develop internal change agents during the external engagement. These champions will help embed new leadership behaviors into daily operations, driving sustainable improvements across the organization.

Achieve Long-Term Success Through Strategic Partnerships

Hiring an external team is not about replacing internal resources—it’s about augmenting them with specialized expertise, objective insights, and scalable solutions. By working with external teams, organizations can unlock opportunities, streamline growth, and drive long-term success.

Talent Praxis partners with organizations to design tailored leadership development programs that fit their unique goals. With a focus on measurable outcomes and sustainable improvements, we help leaders unlock their potential and amplify organizational impact.

Let’s collaborate and create lasting success together!

Leadership Development Modalities: The Key to Building Adaptive Leaders

A successful leadership development program is an integrated experience designed to foster growth through multiple learning channels. Leaders face unique challenges, and the way they develop needs to be as varied and dynamic as the challenges they encounter. This is why leadership development modalities, or the different methods and formats of learning, are critical for creating adaptable, well-rounded leaders. 

Our methodology at Talent Praxis blends insights from a variety of leadership modalities, frameworks, and methodologies. Below are examples of approaches that influence leadership development across the industry, including several that inform our work.

1. One-on-One Coaching: Personalized Growth and Self-Awareness

Coaching provides leaders with individualized support to develop self-awareness, refine behaviors, and achieve personal and professional goals. A certified coach helps identify strengths, address weaknesses, and create actionable strategies for improvement.

Benefits of One-on-One Coaching:

• Customized Guidance: Tailored to the leader’s role, challenges, and career trajectory.

• Behavioral Change: Focused on developing habits that improve day-to-day performance.

• Safe Space for Reflection: Leaders can openly discuss challenges without fear of judgment.

When to Use: Coaching is ideal for leaders looking to work more strategically, in transition, emerging leaders, or those facing specific challenges such as managing a new team or preparing for higher-level responsibilities.

2. Mentorship: Sharing Knowledge Across Generations

Mentorship pairs leaders with experienced professionals who provide guidance, share lessons learned, and offer support based on real-world experiences. Unlike coaching, which focuses on self-discovery, mentorship relies on the transfer of knowledge and wisdom.

Benefits of Mentorship:

• Hands-On Advice: Practical, actionable insights from mentors who’ve faced similar situations.

• Knowledge Transfer: Preserves institutional knowledge and expertise within the organization.

• Confidence Building: Leaders gain confidence through encouragement and shared experiences.

When to Use: Mentorship works well for developing leaders in early- to mid-career stages and for succession planning by preparing future leaders through knowledge sharing.

3. Workshops and Group Training: Building Collaborative Skills

Workshops and group training foster learning through collective discussions, simulations, and problem-solving exercises. These settings are designed to enhance skills such as communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution.

Benefits of Workshops:

• Skill and Framework Development: Introduces practical tools, models, and leadership strategies participants can apply immediately.

• Collaborative Team Learning: Encourages peer-to-peer learning while strengthening alignment, trust, and cross-functional understanding.

• Active Application: Reinforces concepts through role plays, simulations, and real-world problem-solving.

When to Use: Workshops are ideal for developing shared leadership competencies across teams or departments, particularly when collaboration and alignment are key to success.

4. Experiential Learning: Learning by Doing

Experiential learning immerses leaders in real-world challenges, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge in practical settings. This hands-on approach is one of the most effective ways to develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

Forms of Experiential Learning:

• Stretch Assignments: Leaders take on projects outside their usual scope.

• Job Rotations: Leaders gain exposure to different functions or departments.

• Simulated Environments: Crisis simulations or decision-making exercises.

When to Use: Experiential learning is particularly effective for preparing leaders for higher-level roles or equipping them to navigate complex, high-stakes situations.

5. Online and Asynchronous Learning: Flexibility and Accessibility

Online learning offers flexibility through self-paced courses, webinars, and virtual modules that leaders can access anytime, anywhere. This modality is particularly valuable for organizations with geographically dispersed teams.

Benefits of Online Learning:

• Scalability: Easily accessible to large groups of leaders across multiple locations.

• Self-Paced: Allows participants to learn at their convenience.

• Diverse Content: Offers access to a wide range of topics, from technical skills to soft skills.

When to Use: Online learning is ideal for supplementing in-person programs or when organizations need cost-effective and scalable leadership development solutions.

6. Peer Learning and Networking: Learning Through Shared Experiences

Peer learning leverages group discussions, feedback sessions, and collaborative projects to create a shared learning experience. Leaders can learn from one another by exchanging ideas, offering advice, and sharing best practices.

Benefits of Peer Learning:

• Mutual Support: Leaders benefit from the collective wisdom of their peers.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Encourages teamwork and knowledge-sharing across departments.

• Accountability: Peers hold one another accountable for growth and progress.

When to Use: Peer learning is effective for leadership cohorts, cross-functional initiatives, and group problem-solving exercises.

7. Blended Learning: Combining Modalities for Maximum Impact

Blended learning integrates multiple modalities—such as coaching, workshops, and online learning—into a cohesive leadership development program. This approach ensures that leaders benefit from varied learning experiences that reinforce each other.

Benefits of Blended Learning:

• Comprehensive Development: Covers a broad range of competencies and learning styles and keeps participants engaged and motivated through variety.

• Enhanced Retention: Repeated exposure to concepts through different formats improves retention.

• Acquisition to Application: Online learning and workshops or training focus on acquiring knowledge, blended with coaching moves leaders to apply the new learnings, track progress, and measure success. 

When to Use: Blended learning is ideal for comprehensive leadership programs designed to develop multiple competencies simultaneously.

8. Assessments and Feedback Loops: Measuring Progress

Assessments help identify leadership strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement. Tools like 360-degree feedback, personality assessments, and skill evaluations provide a baseline for measuring growth over time.

Benefits of Assessments:

• Data-Driven Insights: Objective data guides personalized development plans.

• Feedback Integration: Leaders receive actionable feedback to inform their growth.

• Progress Tracking: Assessments provide measurable benchmarks for success.

When to Use: Assessments are valuable during the early stages of leadership development and as ongoing tools for tracking progress.

Tailoring Modalities to Your Organization’s Needs

Leadership development succeeds when it reflects the unique culture, challenges, and vision of an organization. At Talent Praxis, we collaborate with you to design personalized programs that combine coaching, mentoring, training, and assessments. Whether you’re cultivating future leaders or advancing seasoned executives, our programs deliver measurable outcomes and build leaders who fuel long-term organizational growth.

Talent Praxis Process: What We Do When We First Come Onboard

Transformative leadership development begins by seeing beyond job titles and uncovering hidden growth potential. When Talent Praxis partners with a company, our first step is to develop a deep understanding of your current organizational structure and future needs. By gathering data, asking the right questions, and building trust from day one, we set the foundation for a program that delivers meaningful and lasting results.

Step 1: Conduct Initial Needs Assessment

The first priority is to gain a comprehensive understanding of your organization’s landscape. We take a diagnostic approach, analyzing key metrics and gathering feedback from key stakeholders to understand leadership gaps and opportunities.

Our Approach to Needs Assessment:

• Conduct interviews with senior leadership and team managers to learn about organizational goals and challenges.

• Review employee engagement surveys, performance evaluations, and feedback from exit interviews (if available).

• Analyze existing leadership practices, company culture, and leadership expectations.

Why It’s Important: Understanding both internal dynamics and external influences enables us to create a program that’s aligned with your strategic goals.

Step 2: Define Success Metrics Together

Without clear success metrics, it’s difficult to measure progress. That’s why we collaborate with leadership to define measurable outcomes that align with your organization’s vision.

What Success Looks Like:

• Improved performance metrics, such as higher productivity or project success rates.

• Enhanced employee satisfaction and engagement scores.

• Behavioral shifts, such as increased collaboration or more effective decision-making.

Customized Success: We ensure that every company we work with has metrics that reflect its unique goals, from boosting retention rates to fostering innovation.

Step 3: Establish Leadership Development Goals

Once we understand your company’s challenges and objectives, we set specific, actionable development goals for individual leaders, teams, and departments.

Goal Setting Includes:

• Short-term objectives to address immediate leadership gaps.

• Long-term goals that focus on sustainable development and growth.

• Personalized development plans for key leaders.

Example: For a company experiencing rapid growth, we may prioritize short-term goals around change management and long-term goals around succession planning.

Step 4: Design Custom Program

Every leadership development program we create is tailored to the specific needs of the business. Whether your organization requires individual coaching, group workshops, or a combination of modalities, we customize the approach to fit your structure and learning culture.

Custom Design Process:

• Identify the right combination of coaching, mentoring, and experiential learning.

• Develop content that reflects industry challenges, leadership competencies, and organizational priorities.

• Create learning modules designed to be engaging, practical, and results-driven.

We focus on designing experiences that leaders can apply in real-world settings.

Step 5: Secure Buy-In and Build Trust Company-Wide

Leadership development is most effective when leaders are fully engaged and committed to the process. That’s why building trust and securing buy-in from participants and senior executives is a critical early step.

How We Build Buy-In:

• Facilitate transparent discussions with executives about the program’s goals and benefits.

• Conduct onboarding sessions to explain the program’s structure, expectations, and success metrics.

• Establish feedback channels to ensure leaders feel heard throughout the program.

Why It Matters: When participants understand the value of the program and have ownership over their development, they’re more likely to be engaged and motivated.

Step 6: Early Engagement and Pilot Programs

To test and refine our approach, we often start with a pilot program involving a select group of leaders. This allows us to gather early feedback, make adjustments, and ensure that the broader program rollout will be successful.

Pilot Program Activities:

• Conduct initial coaching sessions and group workshops.

• Gather feedback from participants and facilitators.

• Adjust content and delivery based on real-time insights.

Responsive Design: This step ensures that the program evolves to meet your organization’s changing needs, reducing risks and maximizing impact.

Step 7: Ongoing Collaboration and Iterative Improvement

Our work doesn’t stop after the program launch. We stay actively involved, monitoring progress, gathering data, and making adjustments as needed to ensure sustained success.

Ongoing Activities:

• Regular check-ins to evaluate progress toward defined success metrics.

• Collecting feedback from participants, coaches, and managers.

• Refining program components based on emerging challenges or new goals.

Continuous Improvement: By fine-tuning what works and addressing areas for improvement, we help your organization maintain long-term growth and adaptability.

Step 8: Deliver Tangible Results

The ultimate goal is to deliver measurable, meaningful results that benefit both individual leaders and the organization as a whole. For example, in a program designed for a mid-sized company, we focus on helping leaders take a more intentional approach to leadership and long-term planning. Rather than just tracking their participation, we measure how each leader creates a customized leadership plan tailored to their role and responsibilities. We also monitor company-wide reporting to confirm that these leaders enter more thoughtful, forward-looking goals into the company’s tracking systems. To evaluate the program’s success, we identify key performance indicators tied to stronger team performance and greater alignment between leadership actions and business priorities.

Whether your organization wants to improve employee retention, boost productivity, or enhance cross-team collaboration, we ensure every outcome is tracked, assessed, and aligned with your overarching business goals.

Our Onboarding Processes Plant the Seeds

Sustained leadership growth isn’t built on quick wins, it’s rooted in intentionality, adaptability, and a deep understanding of what makes an organization thrive. Our onboarding process does more than launch a program—it plants the seeds for leaders to evolve, inspire, and create meaningful change for years to come.

Let’s create something impactful together.

What Makes a Leadership Development Program Succeed?

Leadership development programs have the potential to transform individuals, teams, and entire organizations. But not all programs deliver lasting impact. So, what sets successful leadership development programs apart from those that fall short? The key lies in customization, continuous feedback, and long-term commitment.

At Talent Praxis, we’ve helped numerous organizations achieve measurable improvements through leadership development by using these best practices.  

1. Clear, Measurable Objectives

A successful leadership development program begins with well-defined objectives that are both actionable and measurable. Without clear goals, it’s easy to lose focus and overlook progress.

How to Define Objectives:

• Identify key leadership competencies needed to meet organizational goals.

• Set specific metrics to track development, such as improved employee engagement scores or enhanced project outcomes.

• Align individual objectives with team and organizational priorities.

Example: An organization that aims to enhance innovation might set objectives around creative problem-solving, cross-department collaboration, and risk-taking behaviors.

2. Leadership Buy-In and Engagement

One of the most important factors for success is gaining buy-in from senior leadership. If top leaders view development as optional or low priority, the program will struggle to gain momentum. Conversely, when executives actively participate and advocate for the program, it sends a strong message to the entire organization.

Best Practices for Securing Buy-In:

• Include senior leaders in the design and implementation process.

• Showcase how leadership development ties into broader business outcomes.

• Provide opportunities for executives to act as mentors or coaches within the program.

When senior leaders model the behaviors being taught, it reinforces the program’s credibility and encourages others to engage fully.

3. Customization to Fit Organizational Needs

A generic, prepackaged program rarely delivers meaningful results. Every organization has unique challenges, goals, and cultural dynamics that should be reflected in its leadership development strategy.

How to Customize a Program:

• Conduct assessments to identify specific leadership gaps and opportunities.

• Tailor learning modules to reflect industry trends and business objectives.

• Incorporate real-world scenarios and case studies relevant to the organization.

Talent Praxis Approach: We collaborate closely with our clients to design programs that address their distinct leadership challenges, ensuring participants gain practical, applicable insights.

4. Continuous Feedback and Iterative Improvement

Effective leadership development requires continuous feedback and ongoing improvement are essential to ensuring the program evolves alongside organizational changes.

Feedback Mechanisms to Implement:

• Conduct 360-degree feedback reviews to provide leaders with well-rounded perspectives.

• Collect input from participants, mentors, and team members to gauge progress.

• Adjust the program based on performance metrics and participant feedback.

Tip: Schedule regular check-ins to assess what’s working and what needs adjustment. Iterative improvements lead to sustained impact and long-term success.

5. Integration with Daily Work and Real-World Application

Leadership development is most effective when participants can apply what they’ve learned in real-world situations. Programs that focus solely on theoretical knowledge often fail to translate into actionable change.

How to Promote Practical Application:

• Assign real-world projects where participants can practice new skills.

• Encourage leaders to reflect on their experiences and share lessons learned.

• Integrate leadership development activities into day-to-day responsibilities.

6. Diverse Learning Modalities

Different leaders learn in different ways, so a successful program should include a mix of learning formats. From traditional workshops to experiential learning, offering diverse modalities enhances engagement and retention.

Effective Modalities Include:

• One-on-One Coaching: Personalized guidance to address individual development needs.

• Workshops and Seminars: Group learning opportunities to build core competencies.

• Mentorship Programs: Pairing participants with experienced leaders for ongoing support.

• Online Learning: Asynchronous learning modules for flexibility.

• Experiential Learning: Hands-on assignments that mimic real-world challenges.

Tip: Combining multiple modalities ensures that all participants receive the support they need to succeed.

7. Focus on Emotional Intelligence and Self-Awareness

Technical skills are important, but great leadership often hinges on emotional intelligence (EQ) and self-awareness. Leaders who understand their strengths, limitations, and emotional triggers are better equipped to navigate complex situations and build strong relationships.

Core EQ Skills to Develop:

• Active listening and empathy.

• Emotional regulation and conflict management.

• Self-reflection and constructive feedback.

8. Long-Term Commitment and Sustainability

Leadership development is not a one-time event—it’s a continuous journey. Organizations that see lasting results understand the importance of maintaining long-term initiatives, even after initial milestones are achieved.

Best Practices for Sustaining Success:

• Implement ongoing coaching and mentoring beyond the initial program.

• Create development plans with short- and long-term goals.

• Embed leadership development into the company’s culture and performance management processes.

9. Data-Driven Measurement of Success

Tracking progress and measuring outcomes are critical for understanding the program’s effectiveness and demonstrating ROI to stakeholders.

Metrics to Track:

• Employee engagement and retention rates.

• Performance improvements in key business areas.

• Behavioral changes observed through feedback and performance evaluations.

Tip: Use both qualitative (feedback, testimonials) and quantitative (KPIs, metrics) data to assess the program’s success and make data-informed decisions.

Build Leadership for the Future

A successful leadership development program extends well beyond its first implementation. By focusing on clear objectives, customization, practical application, and continuous improvement, companies can cultivate leaders who drive sustained growth and innovation.

8 Benefits of Leadership Development in an Ever-Changing Workforce

Research consistently shows that companies with strong leadership development programs outperform those that don’t, with higher organizational performance and lower turnover. From shifting employee expectations to the rise of hybrid work and constant technological innovation, organizations need leaders who can navigate change with confidence. Leadership development empowers leaders to foster adaptability, drive innovation, and strengthen resilience across their teams.

1. Adapt to Constant Change

Change is inevitable, but effective leaders turn uncertainty into opportunity. Leadership development programs prepare leaders to manage shifting market conditions, technological disruptions, and internal transitions without losing momentum. Equipped with the ability to pivot strategies, leaders keep teams focused and motivated even during periods of transition. For example, when a retail company transitioned to e-commerce, its leaders successfully guided teams by maintaining clear communication and high morale, ensuring a smooth shift in operations.

2. Boost Employee Engagement and Retention

Engaged employees are more productive, innovative, and committed to organizational success. Strong leadership plays a vital role in fostering this engagement by creating inclusive environments where employees feel valued. Leadership development enhances communication, feedback, and mentorship skills, allowing leaders to address concerns before they escalate and prevent burnout. Companies that develop their leaders consistently experience lower turnover and improved morale, making leadership a key driver of employee retention.

3. Drive Organizational Agility and Innovation

The ability to innovate and respond to disruption is what separates forward-thinking organizations from those that stagnate. Leadership development encourages experimentation, creative problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration. Leaders trained in fostering a culture of innovation inspire their teams to think beyond traditional solutions and take calculated risks. This agility enables organizations to pivot quickly when faced with new challenges or opportunities, helping them stay competitive.

4. Align Teams with Organizational Goals

Even the most talented teams can lose focus if their work isn’t connected to a larger company mission. Leadership development ensures that leaders can effectively communicate the organization’s vision and align day-to-day tasks with long-term priorities. Through clear goal-setting techniques and improved cross-departmental collaboration, leaders ensure that teams stay unified and productive. Organizations that embed alignment within their leadership strategy are better positioned to achieve sustainable growth.

5. Enhance Decision-Making and Problem-Solving

Effective leadership development builds critical thinking and problem-solving skills, enabling leaders to approach complex decisions with confidence. Leaders learn to analyze data, weigh options, and make informed decisions under pressure. For example, a manufacturing company dealing with supply chain disruptions trained its leaders in scenario planning, allowing them to anticipate challenges and develop contingency plans that minimized production delays.

6. Promote Diversity and Inclusion

Organizations that prioritize diversity and inclusion foster innovation and collaboration. Leadership development helps leaders create equitable environments by training them to recognize and value diverse perspectives. Inclusive leaders drive creativity, improve employee satisfaction, and increase retention. By embedding inclusivity into leadership development, companies build cultures that reflect diverse thinking and experiences.

7. Build a Future-Ready Leadership Pipeline

Organizations need future-ready leaders to ensure smooth transitions and business continuity as they grow or current leaders retire. Leadership development focuses on succession planning, identifying emerging talent, and preparing individuals to step into key roles. By investing in this pipeline, companies reduce the risks of leadership gaps and ensure ongoing momentum, even during periods of change.

8. Deliver Long-Term Business Impact

Leadership development encompasses more than just skill-building, it directly impacts organizational performance. Companies that invest in leadership see measurable improvements in productivity, profitability, and engagement. Tracking metrics such as employee satisfaction, retention rates, and team productivity provides clear evidence of the program’s return on investment. Organizations that embed leadership development into their long-term strategy consistently outperform those that don’t.

A Foundation for Sustainable Success

Leadership development is not a short-term initiative but a strategic investment that drives long-term organizational success. By equipping leaders to handle challenges, foster innovation, and align teams with business goals, organizations gain a competitive advantage in dynamic markets. Companies that prioritize leadership development today will be the ones leading innovation, retaining top talent, and achieving sustainable growth in the future.

How to Create a Leadership Development Program

Designing a leadership development program goes beyond prepackaged solutions or generic training sessions. It requires creating an intentional, adaptive framework that aligns with your organization’s unique goals, culture, and evolving leadership needs. With Talent Praxis’s approach, leadership development becomes a catalyst for sustainable growth, fostering innovation and building a steady pipeline of future-ready leaders.

Step 1: Assess Organizational Needs and Leadership Gaps

The foundation of any successful leadership development program is understanding where your organization stands today and where it needs to go. Start by assessing leadership gaps, organizational challenges, and future needs.

Predominant Assessment Methods:

• Surveys and Interviews: Gather feedback from employees, managers, and stakeholders on current leadership performance and organizational needs.

• 360-Degree Feedback: Collect input from peers, direct reports, and supervisors to identify strengths and areas for growth.

• Performance Reviews and Metrics: Analyze key performance data, including productivity, retention rates, and team effectiveness.

Tip: Look beyond immediate gaps and identify long-term leadership needs tied to your company’s growth strategy.

Step 2: Define Clear Leadership Competencies and Objectives

Leadership competencies are the observable behaviors that influence how work gets done. They’re shaped by skills, knowledge, personal attributes, and context and are aligned with your organization’s specific goals and culture.

Examples of Key Leadership Competencies:

• Builds trust and relationships

• Aligns individual and company goals

• Leads change effectively

• Shares information clearly

• Shapes a high-performance culture

Once competencies are established, set clear objectives for your program. These objectives should be measurable, allowing you to track progress and outcomes.

Example Objective: Increase the percentage of leaders who demonstrate improved team engagement, as measured by employee satisfaction surveys, within 12 months.

Step 3: Choose the Right Development Modalities

Leadership development uses various modalities to accommodate different learning preferences and development goals. A successful program often combines multiple approaches.

Effective Development Modalities:

• Coaching: One-on-one guidance tailored to individual needs and goals.

• Mentoring: Pairing leaders with experienced mentors who provide advice and share lessons learned.

• Workshops and Training: Interactive sessions focusing on specific leadership skills.

• Experiential Learning: On-the-job projects and real-world challenges designed to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

• Online Learning Modules: Self-paced courses that offer flexibility and convenience.

Step 4: Develop a Tailored Curriculum

Your program’s curriculum should align with the leadership competencies and organizational objectives you’ve defined. Tailor it to reflect the challenges leaders face in your specific industry or business environment.

Sample Curriculum Structure:

• Phase 1: Foundational workshops on key leadership skills such as situational leadership, setting actionable expectations, and delivering effective feedback. 

• Phase 2: Real-world application through stretch assignments, team projects, or cross-functional collaborations.

• Phase 3: Ongoing coaching and feedback to support continuous improvement.

• Phase 4: Advanced leadership training focusing on strategic vision, innovation, and long-term planning.

Example: A tech company experiencing rapid growth might prioritize modules on scaling teams, managing remote employees, and driving innovation.

Step 5: Ensure Leadership Buy-In and Internal Alignment

Leadership development programs are most effective when they have support from senior leadership. Executive involvement signals that leadership growth is a company-wide priority and increases participation and engagement across the board.

How to Gain Buy-In:

• Present a clear business case linking leadership development to organizational success.

• Involve senior leaders in setting program objectives and defining key outcomes.

• Offer executives opportunities to mentor or coach emerging leaders.

Tip: Strong collaboration between HR, department heads, and senior leadership ensures the program stays aligned with business goals.

Step 6: Implement, Monitor, and Adjust

Implementation is the beginning of the journey. Continuous monitoring and feedback are essential for ensuring your leadership development program evolves with changing organizational needs.

How to Track Progress:

• Pre- and Post-Assessments: Measure growth in specific competencies or behaviors before and after program participation.

• Feedback Mechanisms: Collect feedback from participants and their teams to gauge program effectiveness.

• KPIs and Metrics: Track key indicators such as team performance, retention rates, and employee satisfaction.

Iterative Adjustments:

Based on feedback and results, make iterative improvements to the program. For example, if participants struggle with specific modules, adjust the curriculum or introduce additional resources to bridge gaps.

Step 7: Foster a Culture of Continuous Development

A successful leadership development program goes beyond isolated workshops, it creates a culture where learning, growth, and feedback are ongoing. Encourage leaders to take ownership of their development and create opportunities for them to mentor others, share knowledge, and continuously refine their skills.

Example: Implement quarterly leadership roundtables where participants can discuss challenges, share best practices, and receive peer feedback.

Step 8: Celebrate and Share Success Stories

Recognizing and celebrating success reinforces the importance of leadership development and motivates continued participation. Share stories of leaders who have achieved significant growth and highlight measurable outcomes from the program.

Tip: Use internal newsletters, town hall meetings, or company-wide emails to showcase program successes and the impact on business performance.

Building Leaders Who Drive Long-Term Success

A well-designed leadership development program does more than fill immediate skill gaps—it equips leaders to navigate the complexities and nuances within a workforce. At Talent Praxis, we create custom programs that balance immediate impact with long-term growth, ensuring your organization thrives in an ever-changing environment.

Let’s build the foundation for sustainable success, one leader at a time.

Are Assessments Helpful in Leadership Development?

Assessments often spark mixed reactions in leadership development discussions. Some view them as indispensable tools for uncovering potential, while others argue they’re meaningless without actionable follow-through. The truth lies somewhere in between—assessments are powerful, but only when used deliberately. At Talent Praxis, we recognize that assessments don’t exist in isolation, they serve as one part of a holistic leadership development process designed to drive growth and measurable outcomes.

The Purpose of Assessments in Leadership Development

Assessments help organizations identify leadership strengths, areas for improvement, and hidden potential. By offering data-driven insights, they enable personalized development plans that cater to the unique needs of individual leaders.

Key Benefits of Leadership Assessments:

• Self-awareness: Leaders gain a clearer understanding of how their behavior, decisions, and communication styles impact others.

• Data-driven planning: Assessments offer objective data, making it easier to tailor development programs to address specific gaps.

• Benchmarking: Organizations can track progress by comparing assessment results over time, measuring growth and effectiveness.

• Feedback integration: Multi-source assessments, such as 360-degree feedback, capture different perspectives, providing leaders with a well-rounded view of their performance.

Example: A mid-level manager who consistently struggles with team engagement completes an emotional intelligence assessment. The results highlight low scores in empathy and conflict resolution, leading to personalized coaching that directly targets these areas.

Common Types of Leadership Assessments

Different types of assessments provide unique insights into leadership performance and development opportunities.

360-Degree Feedback Assessments:

Collect input from peers, subordinates, and supervisors to provide a comprehensive view of a leader’s strengths and weaknesses.

• What it reveals: Behavioral patterns, collaboration effectiveness, and interpersonal dynamics.

• When to use: Ideal for developing well-rounded leaders and uncovering blind spots.

1. Personality and Behavioral Assessments (e.g., DiSC, MBTI):
   Analyze personality traits, decision-making tendencies, and preferred communication styles.

• What it reveals: How personality influences leadership effectiveness and team interactions.

• When to use: Best for matching leadership roles to individuals or improving team dynamics.

2. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Assessments:
   Evaluate a leader’s ability to manage emotions, build relationships, and navigate conflicts.

• What it reveals: Areas where leaders can improve empathy, self-regulation, and social awareness.

• When to use: Essential for leaders managing diverse or high-stress teams.

3. Skills-Based Competency Assessments:
   Measure technical skills and leadership competencies specific to the organization’s needs

• What it reveals: Gaps in critical leadership competencies such as strategic thinking or decision-making.

• When to use: Ideal for developing emerging leaders or enhancing targeted skill sets.

When Assessments Fail: The Limitations to Watch For

Assessments aren’t cure-alls. Without proper integration into a larger development framework, they risk becoming just another box-ticking exercise. Organizations often fall into the trap of conducting assessments but failing to act on the results, rendering them ineffective.

Common Pitfalls:

• Lack of buy-in: Leaders who don’t see the value of assessments are unlikely to engage with the process.

• Over-reliance on data: Quantitative results alone won’t drive behavior change without actionable follow-up.

• One-size-fits-all approach: Generic assessments can fail to address the unique needs of leaders within different roles or industries.

Avoiding These Issues: Talent Praxis emphasizes follow-through by ensuring that every assessment result is tied to concrete development activities, such as coaching sessions, skill-building workshops, or mentoring programs.

Maximizing the Value of Leadership Assessments

To ensure assessments drive meaningful outcomes, they must be part of a continuous feedback loop where insights lead to action. Here’s how Talent Praxis approaches assessments to make them effective:

1. Pre-Assessment Preparation:
   Establish clear goals and expectations with leaders. Explain why the assessment is important and how the results will be used.

2. Custom-Tailored Assessments:
   We select or design assessments that align with the organization’s specific challenges and objectives, ensuring the results are relevant and actionable.

3. Debriefing and Coaching:
   Leaders review their assessment results with a coach or facilitator who helps them interpret the data, identify key takeaways, and develop personalized action plans.

4. Ongoing Development:
   Assessment results aren’t static—they evolve as leaders grow. Talent Praxis monitors progress through follow-up assessments and adjusts development strategies accordingly.

5. Feedback Integration:
   Regular feedback from colleagues, mentors, and supervisors is incorporated into the development plan to reinforce learning and behavior changes.

Example: After a leadership team completes 360-degree assessments, Talent Praxis designs a series of workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions. Six months later, follow-up assessments show measurable improvements in team collaboration and decision-making.

When to Incorporate Assessments in Your Leadership Development Program

Assessments can be beneficial at various stages of leadership development, including:

• During onboarding: Identify leadership potential and areas for early development.

• Before promotions: Ensure leaders are equipped with the necessary skills to succeed in new roles.

• Ongoing professional growth: Track progress and make course corrections as needed.

• Crisis management: Address specific challenges, such as performance issues or team conflicts, through targeted assessments.

Turn Insights into Impact

Leadership assessments are most effective when they’re part of a larger strategy that turns insights into action. At Talent Praxis, we combine assessments with personalized coaching, experiential learning, and feedback mechanisms to drive real change. Assessments are not the destination, they’re a starting point for growth.

Want to unlock your leaders’ full potential? Let’s discuss how to create your assessment-driven development program that transforms data into meaningful outcomes.

Proactive vs. Reactive Leadership Development Strategies

In an unpredictable business environment, leadership development can’t rely solely on reacting to challenges as they arise. Companies that embrace proactive strategies, while also knowing when to implement reactive solutions, create a balance that ensures leaders are ready to handle both current and future demands. At Talent Praxis, we help organizations design tailored leadership development programs that combine the strengths of both approaches, ensuring long-term growth and adaptability.

What Is Proactive Leadership Development?

Proactive leadership development focuses on preparing leaders before challenges arise. It’s about anticipating future needs, aligning leadership growth with long-term company goals, and continuously building leaders’ capabilities through forward-thinking initiatives.

Proactive strategies include:

• Regular upskilling through workshops, mentoring, and coaching.

• Scenario planning to simulate crises and prepare leaders for high-pressure situations.

• Developing leaders’ strategic thinking skills to lead more intentionally with impactful business goals, rather than defaulting to reactive decision-making.

• Building emerging talent through structured succession planning and growth programs.

Key Benefits of Proactive Leadership Development:

• Enhanced readiness: Leaders are equipped to face challenges with confidence.

• Reduced risk: By training leaders early, companies minimize disruptions during periods of change.

• Sustained growth: A pipeline of well-prepared leaders ensures long-term organizational success.

Example: A tech company preparing for global expansion proactively trains its leaders on cross-cultural communication and remote team management, ensuring they’re ready to lead international teams before the expansion begins.

What Is Reactive Leadership Development?

Reactive leadership development occurs in response to immediate needs, challenges, or crises. This approach addresses gaps as they arise, helping leaders quickly adjust to changes or resolve issues within their teams. While it’s important for addressing short-term problems, relying solely on reactive strategies can leave organizations vulnerable to recurring challenges.

Reactive strategies include:

• Providing leadership support after sudden organizational changes, such as mergers or layoffs.

• Addressing skill gaps identified through employee feedback or performance reviews.

• Offering targeted training when a leader faces specific performance issues.

Key Benefits of Reactive Leadership Development:

• Quick problem-solving: Immediate solutions can prevent issues from escalating.

• Targeted improvements: Training can focus on specific weaknesses or challenges.

• Short-term results: Organizations can see immediate improvements in performance.

Example: Following a company restructure, a new team leader receives targeted coaching on conflict resolution to help them navigate team dynamics and restore productivity.

Why Companies Need Both Proactive and Reactive Strategies

While proactive strategies build long-term resilience, reactive strategies provide critical support when unexpected challenges arise. Companies that successfully integrate both approaches are better equipped to manage uncertainty and drive sustained growth.

How Talent Praxis Blends Proactive and Reactive Strategies:

1. Building a strong foundation: Proactive development ensures leaders are continuously learning and improving.

2. Addressing immediate needs: Reactive interventions address urgent challenges without disrupting long-term growth.

3. Iterative improvement: Regular feedback allows us to refine leadership development efforts over time, blending proactive planning with real-time adjustments.

Proactive vs. Reactive: When to Use Each

Situation	Proactive Approach	Reactive Approach
Company Expansion	Train leaders in advance on managing larger teams or new markets.	Provide on-the-spot coaching for leaders handling rapid growth challenges.
Emerging Leaders	Develop a leadership pipeline through succession planning.	Promote emerging leaders and provide training once they assume new roles.
Organizational Crisis (e.g., financial setbacks)	Conduct crisis simulations to build decision-making skills.	Offer reactive support through leadership coaching and strategic guidance.
Skill Gaps Identified Through Performance Reviews	Build comprehensive, long-term skill development plans.	Address specific gaps through targeted workshops or training sessions.

How to Build a Proactive and Reactive Leadership Development Strategy

1. Start with a diagnostic assessment.
   Assess current leadership strengths, weaknesses, and organizational needs. This helps identify where proactive efforts are necessary and where reactive interventions may be needed in the short term.

2. Set long-term and short-term goals.
   Proactive goals may focus on preparing future leaders or developing soft skills like emotional intelligence, while reactive goals address immediate performance concerns or crisis management.

3. Incorporate multiple development modalities.
   Proactive strategies benefit from ongoing initiatives like mentoring programs and leadership simulations. For reactive needs, personalized coaching and targeted workshops work best.

4. Create feedback loops.
   Continuous feedback ensures that reactive interventions inform proactive planning, creating a cycle of improvement.

5. Evaluate and adjust regularly.
   Leadership development strategies should evolve alongside organizational changes and external factors.

The Talent Praxis Approach: Customizing Your Strategy

At Talent Praxis, we design leadership development programs that fit seamlessly into your company’s culture and business goals. Our approach includes:

• Proactive development through tailored workshops, succession planning, and strategic coaching.

• Reactive support through on-demand coaching and immediate training solutions.

• Ongoing monitoring to ensure the strategy evolves with your company’s changing needs.

We understand that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for leadership development. Our team collaborates with you to identify when to focus on proactive growth and when to implement reactive measures, ensuring your leaders are always prepared for what’s next.

Final Thoughts: Build Leaders for Today and Tomorrow

Companies that strike the right balance between proactive and reactive leadership development are better positioned for success in an ever-changing world. Proactive strategies lay the groundwork for sustained growth, while reactive responses ensure leaders can quickly adapt to challenges without missing a beat.

Ready to take the next step? Whether you want to build a future-ready leadership pipeline or address urgent challenges, Talent Praxis is here to help.

Questions We Ask When Creating a Leadership Development Strategy

Designing a successful leadership development strategy isn’t just about identifying a list of skills or running through a standard training program. At Talent Praxis, we believe that effective leadership development requires intentional planning, adaptability, and an understanding of how internal and external factors influence leadership outcomes. To get there, we start with the right questions. Here are the questions we ask when creating a leadership development strategy.

What Are the Organization’s Long-Term Goals and External Influences?

A company’s leadership needs are not static. They evolve alongside changes in market conditions, customer expectations, competitor strategies, and technological innovations. That’s why we begin by asking:

• What are the organization’s long-term objectives?

• How do external forces, like industry disruptions or economic shifts, affect those goals?

Understanding these dynamics allows us to craft leadership programs that help leaders meet current objectives and also stay ahead of future challenges. For example, if an organization is entering a new market, leadership development may focus on adaptability, strategic thinking, and innovation to drive success in uncharted territory.

What Internal Challenges and Opportunities Exist?

Every organization has unique internal dynamics that influence leadership development. From company culture to team structures, we assess how these factors shape what leaders need to thrive. This includes:

• Current team and department-specific goals: Are individual teams aligned with the company’s broader objectives?

• Internal leadership gaps: What feedback has surfaced in performance reviews, 360 evaluations, or employee engagement surveys?

We categorize internal challenges using a macro-to-micro approach. At the top, we assess company-wide goals. As we move down, we analyze departmental strategies and individual roles. By understanding this hierarchy, we can design a program that addresses key gaps while leveraging existing strengths.

How Do Leaders Currently Practice Leadership?

Leadership is a practice that evolves alongside the organization and its people. We ask leaders to reflect on how they currently operate and what changes they’d like to make. This helps us create development plans tailored to their specific goals.

We explore questions like:

• What vision do leaders have for themselves and their teams?

• What are their current leadership practices, and how do those align with organizational values?

• What behaviors or habits are holding them back from achieving their vision?

This reflective approach helps leaders develop an intentional plan for growth, grounded in both their personal aspirations and organizational needs.

How Can We Balance Proactive and Reactive Development Needs?

Organizations often come to us with immediate needs, such as addressing performance issues or responding to changes in company strategy. While we address these reactive needs, we also focus on building a proactive, long-term strategy.

Reactive development: This often involves meeting urgent leadership requirements, such as training in emotional intelligence or implementing targeted coaching programs in response to feedback.

Proactive development: We design leadership pathways that consider future growth, evolving team dynamics, and shifting organizational goals. By blending both approaches, companies can tackle today’s challenges while preparing for tomorrow’s opportunities.

What Role Should Assessments Play in Leadership Development?

Assessments can be valuable tools, but only when used as part of a broader strategy. On their own, they provide limited value. We ensure that assessments lead to meaningful outcomes by focusing on four key elements:

1. Engagement: Are leaders emotionally connected to the process and invested in their growth?

2. Learning outcomes: Can participants clearly articulate what they learned from the assessment?

3. Behavioral change: What specific changes will leaders make based on the feedback?

4. Results: Are the changes observable and impactful within the organization?

By following this structure, we move beyond assessment results and help leaders implement real, observable changes.

How Will We Measure Success?

Measuring the success of a leadership development strategy isn’t just about tracking performance metrics. We look at both qualitative and quantitative indicators to evaluate progress.

Key success indicators:

• Qualitative feedback: What do leaders say they have learned, and how are they applying it in their roles?

• Behavioral changes: Are there observable shifts in leadership practices?

• Organizational outcomes: How are these changes contributing to team performance, retention, and business goals?

By combining self-reported insights with team and organizational feedback, we gain a holistic view of the strategy’s effectiveness.

Why Should Companies Consider External Support?

While many organizations have internal leadership development efforts, external partners like Talent Praxis bring fresh perspectives, scalable capacity, and specialized expertise. We help fill gaps that internal teams may not have the resources or time to address.

When external support is valuable:

• Scalability: Organizations may need additional capacity to coach leaders at scale.

• Neutral perspective: External coaches create a confidential space for leaders to explore challenges without the internal pressures of organizational politics.

• Diverse expertise: Our experience across industries allows us to introduce new strategies and best practices that may not be part of the internal knowledge base.

How Do We Ensure the Program Is Adaptable Over Time?

Leadership development is not a one-and-done initiative. To stay effective, programs must evolve with the organization. We design strategies that incorporate continuous feedback, data collection, and iterative improvements.

This includes:

• Running smaller pilot programs to test effectiveness before scaling

• Collecting ongoing feedback from participants and stakeholders

• Making adjustments based on real-time results and changing company priorities

By continuously iterating, we ensure that leadership development remains relevant and impactful.

Creating Sustainable Growth Through Intentional Strategy

A well-designed leadership development strategy requires more than just identifying key competencies. It demands a deep understanding of the organization’s goals, challenges, and opportunities. At Talent Praxis, we approach leadership development as an evolving journey that combines immediate needs with long-term vision.

Is your organization ready to develop leaders who can drive sustainable growth?Let’s create a strategy tailored to your company’s needs and future ambitions.

What Is the Purpose of Leadership Development?

Leadership development isn’t just a company perk or a temporary fix for performance gaps, it’s a long-term investment in people and organizational success. Companies that prioritize leadership development cultivate adaptable leaders who can motivate teams, navigate complex challenges, and drive growth. But what’s the deeper purpose of leadership development, and why is it essential in today’s evolving workforce? Here are the six key purposes of leadership development. 

1. Leadership Development Empowers Leaders to Achieve Organizational Goals

Leaders play a key role in setting direction, fostering collaboration, and driving performance. Effective leadership development equips individuals with the skills needed to guide their teams toward achieving business objectives. These programs focus on leadership qualities that improve decision-making and accountability.

Core benefits of leadership development:

• Establishing clear, actionable goals that align with the company’s strategy

• Strengthening collaboration across departments for better results

• Enhancing adaptability to business changes and market demands

When leaders understand how to align their team’s efforts with company goals, they improve organizational outcomes and foster consistent growth.

2. Leadership Development Creates a Steady Leadership Pipeline

A well-developed leadership pipeline ensures that businesses can fill key roles internally when needed. Without this pipeline, companies risk leadership gaps that can hinder progress. Leadership development programs help organizations identify and nurture emerging talent, reducing dependence on external hiring.

Why a leadership pipeline is essential:

• Ensures continuity when leadership roles change

• Reduces costs associated with external recruitment

• Maintains cultural consistency by promoting from within

By preparing future leaders, businesses safeguard their long-term success and create stability during transitions.

3. Leadership Development Boosts Employee Engagement and Retention

Good leadership directly impacts employee satisfaction. When leaders communicate effectively, support professional development, and provide regular feedback, employees feel valued and engaged. Poor leadership, on the other hand, can lead to low morale and high turnover.

How leadership development improves retention:

• Trains leaders to offer constructive feedback and guidance

• Creates mentorship opportunities that support career growth

• Builds trust by fostering open communication

Companies with supportive leadership retain more talent, resulting in lower turnover and higher productivity.

4. Leadership Development Boosts Innovation and Adaptability

Innovation and adaptability are key to staying competitive. Leadership development focuses on enhancing problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. This enables leaders to address challenges, seize opportunities, and guide their teams through uncertainty.

How leadership development fosters innovation:

• Encourages leaders to explore new ideas and take strategic risks

• Promotes cross-functional collaboration for creative problem-solving

• Equips leaders to manage change and realign strategies when necessary

Agile leaders can help organizations respond quickly to shifting markets and drive sustainable innovation.

5. Leadership Development Aligns Leadership with Organizational Values

Leaders influence how organizational values are upheld across teams. When leaders demonstrate ethical behavior and model the company’s values, it strengthens trust and unity within the organization. Leadership development programs ensure that leaders understand and reflect these values in their decision-making.

Benefits of value-driven leadership:

• Promotes consistent, ethical decision-making

• Encourages teamwork based on shared goals and values

• Builds trust with employees, stakeholders, and customers

By embedding core values into leadership development, companies create a positive work environment and long-lasting cultural alignment.

6. Leadership Development Creates Leaders Who Can Mentor Others

Leadership development not only focuses on immediate results but also helps leaders build the skills to mentor future leaders. By emphasizing coaching and mentorship, companies create a continuous cycle of growth.

Key outcomes of mentorship-focused development:

• Helps leaders identify and nurture high-potential employees

• Provides personalized feedback and professional development opportunities

• Creates a scalable leadership pipeline for long-term success

Organizations that prioritize mentorship ensure ongoing leadership development at every level.

Leadership Development is a Long-Term Investment

Leadership development supports both individual and organizational growth. Companies that invest in developing their leaders build a strong foundation of innovation, adaptability, and trust. These qualities enable them to drive performance, retain talent, and navigate challenges effectively.

Ready to build future-ready leaders and strengthen your organization?

Leadership Competencies Explained: A Practical Guide to Building a High-Impact Framework

Transformative leadership development begins by setting clear expectations that empower leaders to uncover hidden potential. It's a leader's daily behaviors that shape culture, drive innovation, and deliver business results. Leadership competencies offer a clear framework for these behaviors and turn abstract ideals into practical, observable actions.

Defined competencies create alignment across hiring, development, and performance management. They serve as a blueprint for leadership excellence, and the payoff is measurable. Organizations with well-defined competencies experience 94% higher employee retention and consistently outperform competitors.

What Are Leadership Competencies and Why Do They Matter?

Leadership competencies describe how something is done, observable patterns of behaviors. The potential of a competency is based on skills, knowledge, personal attributes, and context. This can be collective or individual. 

Unlike standalone skills or traits, competencies reflect the consistent application of these four elements to produce meaningful outcomes. They describe how work gets done by highlighting the expectations of leaders that lead to success. Competencies provide a shared language that helps organizations identify, evaluate, and cultivate the leadership behaviors essential to achieving business goals.

Inside the Competency Framework

Competencies stem from the integration of skills, knowledge, personal attributes, and contextual factors. Our model at Talent Praxis draws on established frameworks such as Boyatzis' competency model, OPM’s MOSAIC Studies and Competencies and the holistic approach proposed by Delamare Le Deist and Winterton.

A leader’s ability to be successful in a competency is based on four key components:

Skills + Knowledge + Personal Attributes + Context = Competency Success

This framework explains why competencies transcend standalone skills like data analysis or inherent traits like empathy. A competency represents the consistent application of these elements to drive results across diverse situations.

Consider two leaders who demonstrate "strategic thinking." One relies on systems thinking and data analysis, while another draws on industry intuition and past experience. Although their methods differ, both consistently apply the behaviors that define the competency. This reflects the Talent Praxis view that leadership success comes from unique combinations of strengths applied in context, not from a single strength or fixed style.

At Talent Praxis, we define leadership and people management as distinct but complementary roles within effective organizations:

• Leadership is the process of inspiring others to achieve common goals.

• People management is the process of organizing and orchestrating people, projects, and processes to ensure effective execution to achieve goals.

Why Do Leadership Competencies Drive Business Performance?

Research from the NeuroLeadership Institute shows that every dollar invested in leadership development yields an average return of $7. Additionally, 42% of organizations reported increased revenue as a direct result of leadership development efforts, and 47% attributed the gain to better-performing managers and their teams.

These results underscore the impact of leadership competency frameworks when they are thoughtfully designed and fully integrated into organizational practices. 

Here’s how that impact takes shape:

• Focused Leadership Development
  Well-defined competencies give training and coaching efforts a clear direction, helping leaders develop the exact capabilities needed for their current responsibilities—and to grow into future roles.

• Stronger Succession Planning
  By tying competencies to leadership levels, organizations can assess bench strength, pinpoint readiness gaps, and make strategic investments in internal talent pipelines.

• Strategic Alignment with Built-in Agility
  Leadership behaviors shape execution. Competency models reinforce behaviors that support business goals, while allowing leaders to adapt their style to shifting market demands.

• More Predictive Hiring Decisions
  Competency-based interviews prioritize demonstrated behaviors over gut instincts, improving hiring accuracy and minimizing bias in the selection process.

• Performance Management That Drives Growth
  When competencies form the basis of evaluations and feedback, performance discussions become more actionable, relevant, and connected to real business outcomes.

Together, these outcomes form a reinforcing loop: better leadership drives stronger performance, which in turn fuels sustained growth and competitive advantage.

How Do You Build a Leadership Competency Framework That Works?

Creating a competency framework doesn’t need to be complex, but it does need to be intentional, agile, and grounded in real business needs.

Start by capturing what’s already working. Many organizations already reward, promote, and develop leaders based on implicit patterns of behavior. Document those informal competencies to uncover what's being reinforced in practice.

Adopt an iterative mindset, similar to design thinking. Focus on building a practical framework that evolves instead of aiming for a perfect version upfront. The goal is not to identify ideal traits but to define the critical behaviors that help leaders succeed in your environment.

Here are five key steps to help you build a framework that’s practical and aligned with your strategy:

1. Begin Where You Are

Look at existing strengths. Review leadership practices, development programs, and cultural behaviors already being rewarded. This creates a foundation rooted in current reality.

2. Align with Business Strategy

Ask your leadership team forward-looking questions like:

• In three years, what must be true about our leaders for us to succeed?

• What leadership behaviors would help us avoid failure?

• What new challenges or goals will require different ways of leading?

These questions will surface future-oriented competencies that directly support your goals.

3. Gather Input from Multiple Sources

Include data from:

• Executive interviews and strategic priorities

• Employee feedback and engagement surveys

• Performance reviews (terminations, promotions, raises)

• Job postings and leadership role descriptions

• High- and low-performing team patterns

• Training program outcomes

This blend of insights will help identify and validate essential leadership behaviors.

4. Define and Track Competencies Clearly

Create competencies with specific applications in mind—leadership development programs, succession planning, career pathing, or hiring. For each competency, include:

• A concise definition

• Clear examples and counterexamples

• Skills, experience, and traits that may support the behaviors

• Proficiency levels when applicable

Track them in a centralized document or spreadsheet, noting where each competency is used and what results it supports. A simple system is enough.

5. Test, Apply, and Iterate

Roll out your framework in real-world use cases like coaching conversations, performance reviews, or leadership selection. Collect feedback, reflect on what’s working, and evolve the framework over time. A retro or informal feedback loop can be just as powerful as formal measurement.

What Are the Top 5 Leadership Competency Framework Pitfalls?

1. Overloading the Framework

The Problem: Organizations often create bloated models with 20+ competencies, diluting focus and overwhelming users.

Best Practice: Limit your framework to 5–12 core competencies that truly drive organizational success.

Implementation Tip: Prioritize competencies by asking: “If we excelled at only this, would it significantly impact our strategic goals?”

2. Writing Vague Definitions

The Problem: Abstract competencies like “demonstrates leadership” create confusion and inconsistent application.

Best Practice: Define each competency with specific, observable behaviors that can be measured and developed and examples to reinforce it.

Example: Instead of “Effective communication,” use “Articulates complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences and listens actively to understand different perspectives.”

3. Applying a One-Size-Fits-All Model

The Problem: Generic frameworks fail to address your organization’s unique challenges and competitive advantages.

Best Practice: Customize your competency model to reflect your specific culture, strategy, and future vision.

Key Question: “What capabilities will our leaders need to execute our strategy in the next 3–5 years?”

4. Letting It Go Stale

The Problem: Static frameworks become irrelevant as business priorities evolve.

Best Practice: Schedule annual reviews to assess competency relevance against current strategy.

Governance Approach: Establish a cross-functional leadership committee to continuously gather feedback and recommend updates.

5. Failing to Integrate

The Problem: Isolated competency models become “shelf documents” with minimal organizational impact.

Best Practice: Embed your framework throughout the talent lifecycle—selection, onboarding, performance management, development, and succession planning.

Integration Strategy: Align your competencies with learning curricula, assessment tools, and promotion criteria to create a cohesive leadership development ecosystem.

How Do You Implement Your Competencies Framework Across the Employee Lifecycle?

A framework only delivers value when systematically embedded. Here's how to integrate competencies throughout the employee journey:

• Recruitment & Selection

• Use competency-based interview questions and assessments

• Include competency expectations in job descriptions

• Onboarding

• Introduce competencies during orientation

• Provide examples of competencies in action

• Coaching & Development

• Create development plans targeting competency gaps

• Establish regular check-ins focused on competency progress

• Feedback & Recognition

• Reinforce competency demonstration with specific feedback

• Design recognition programs highlighting competency excellence

• Performance Reviews

• Evaluate both results and how they're achieved

• Align promotion criteria with competency mastery

• Succession Planning

• Map high-potentials against competency profiles

• Create development experiences for future-role competencies

• Team Training

• Design workshops around core competency areas

• Measure effectiveness through competency improvement

How Do Leadership Competencies Contribute to Your Brand?

When leveraged strategically, leadership competencies transcend internal guidelines to form your leadership brand—a concept pioneered by Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood that describes the reputation an organization earns for developing exceptional leaders.

A strong leadership brand builds trust among stakeholders, investors, customers, and employees alike. It authentically reflects your organization's values and capabilities while creating meaningful differentiation in the marketplace.

Why Are Competencies the Cornerstone of Leadership Excellence?

Leadership competencies represent far more than theoretical constructs and have proven themselves as strategic assets that directly drive organizational success. By explicitly connecting leadership behaviors to business outcomes, competencies provide a clear roadmap for development, enhanced performance, and sustainable competitive advantage.

When you prioritize competency development:

• You define leadership excellence in your organization's unique context and culture

• You create powerful alignment between strategic objectives, cultural values, and critical talent decisions

• You cultivate a robust leadership pipeline prepared to navigate future challenges and opportunities

While each organization requires a tailored approach, success follows a consistent process. Begin with an honest assessment of your current state. Concentrate resources on the competencies that will drive the greatest impact. And create a dynamic leadership model that evolves alongside your organization's journey.

Ready to build a leadership framework that measurably improves decision-making and accelerates your strategic initiatives?

Bridging the Leadership Development Gap: How Talent Praxis Transforms Executive Potential into Real-World Results

Most leadership programs promise transformation, but few deliver outcomes that last beyond the workshop. There’s a reason for that. When development is disconnected from business strategy, overly abstract, or built on generic frameworks, it doesn’t equip leaders to meet the real challenges of their roles.

At Talent Praxis, we close that gap. Our approach translates executive potential into measurable results by embedding development into the work leaders do every day. We guide leaders through a clear, actionable process built around three essential phases:

• Clarify Your Vision: Define clear leadership goals and identify the strategic focuses that will drive success, alignment, and team performance across the organization.

• Discover & Grow: Leverage proven frameworks, expert insights, and powerful questioning to spark reflection, deepen awareness, and experiment with growth strategies.

• Craft Your Strategy: Identify essential leadership behaviors, develop actionable plans, and implement feedback loops to drive impactful, sustainable results.

This process creates the foundation for practical, embedded development to prepare leaders to act with clarity in the situations they face every day.

Start by Fixing What Leadership Programs Get Wrong

75% of organizations rate their leadership development programs as not very effective. That disconnect is a symptom of outdated development models, ones that over-index on theory and underdeliver on practical impact.

Too often, leadership programs rely on abstract traits and loosely defined concepts. Leaders leave feeling inspired, but not equipped. Talent Praxis takes a different approach. We focus on practical, observable behaviors that tie directly to how work gets done so that leaders can immediately apply what they learn to real decisions, real conversations, and real outcomes.

Build a Leadership Strategy That Reflects Your Organization

Traditional leadership programs tend to follow a predictable one-size-fits-all formula of buzzwords and best practices that gather dust by Monday morning. They introduce concepts but rarely equip leaders to apply them in daily decision-making. Short-term workshops and high-level training might raise awareness, but they don’t create long-term change.

That’s why Talent Praxis begins by understanding your organization’s structure, strategy, and leadership challenges. From there, we build a development experience that fits your goals and integrates with how your teams already work. Our approach is intentionally designed to be customized, not standardized, so that lessons learned can be seamlessly integrated into your organization’s rhythm.

Focus on Behaviors That Drive Performance

Our leadership model emphasizes competencies defined by observable behaviors and patterns that clearly indicate how work is effectively executed. Rather than relying on subjective traits, we ground our approach in behaviors that leaders and managers consistently demonstrate.

We utilize internal competencies, processes, and resources to seamlessly integrate with your holistic leadership development efforts and reinforce internal resources. Depending on where you are in your internal development, we can help develop leadership competencies and internal processes with consulting and advisement, or we can utilize Talent Praxis leadership development resources and competencies. 

TPCS Leadership Competencies:

These competencies focus on inspiring and influencing teams toward achieving shared goals:

• Defining Team Vision and Purpose

• Setting Clear and Impactful Goals

• Thinking and Working Strategically

• Building Trust and Relationships

• Leading Change Effectively

• And more!

TPCS Management Competencies:

These competencies center on effectively organizing and orchestrating people and processes to accomplish goals:

• Adapting Approach to Individual and Team Dynamics

• Communicating Expectations Clearly

• Delivering Impactful Feedback

• Delegating Effectively

• Optimizing Resource Management

• And more!

Our model strikes a purposeful balance: 60% directive guidance and 40% reflective practice. This combination helps leaders move quickly from insight to action, while our accountability framework ensures consistent follow-through. Every coaching session and training is designed for immediate relevance. Leaders work through real challenges, using practical tools they can apply right away.

As business priorities evolve, so do our programs. Leadership development becomes a continuous process that’s built to grow alongside your organization and the people driving it forward.

Turn Insight into Action Through Practical Application

The fastest way to kill momentum is to separate learning from execution. At Talent Praxis, we bring them together.

We integrate coaching, assessments, and training into an applied learning experience where leaders clarify their vision, identify specific growth areas, and practice new behaviors in real time. Every session is built around immediate relevance so that leaders can address what matters most now, not six months from now.

This connection between theory and application accelerates behavior change, builds confidence, and ensures new habits take root.

Work with Coaches Who Know the Reality of Leadership

All of our coaches are ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with a minimum of a master’s degree in business or learning and development, but these credentials are just the starting point. Our coaches bring 5+ years of organizational leadership, people management, and talent development experience across industries. They also bring 5+ years of experience professionally coaching leaders one-on-one. They’ve led teams, managed crises, scaled organizations, and coached leaders from high-potential managers to C-suite executives.

They do more than just ask questions. With their expertise in leadership, management, business, and organizational development, they notice patterns, offer observations, challenge assumptions, and help leaders make smarter, faster decisions without sacrificing integrity or impact.

Measure Progress in Business Terms

Effective leadership development should lead to tangible business outcomes. According to a report from New Level Work, companies that invest in high-quality programs see an average return of 7 to 1. In the same study, 42% reported a direct increase in revenue and sales.

At Talent Praxis, we make sure your investment delivers results you can see across teams, culture, and performance. 

Our clients report improvements in:

• Productivity- through smarter delegation and clearer communication

• Team alignment- through shared goals and better feedback

• Business performance- through sharper prioritization and stronger decision-making

Equip Leaders to Navigate Change, Not Just Manage It

Leadership isn’t about maintaining the status quo. It’s about guiding organizations through complexity, growth, and change.

We help leaders answer forward-thinking questions with confidence:

• Are we building culture or just managing tasks?

• Are we creating autonomy or avoiding hard conversations?

• Are we prepared for scale or stuck in reaction mode?

• Are we innovating for future markers or reacting to market changes?

Our approach empowers leaders to lead with clarity and resilience, no matter how the business landscape evolves.

Transform Potential Into Measurable Business Value

When you invest in leadership growth, you receive both individual development and organizational strength. Talent Praxis builds internal leadership capacity through a structured, evidence-backed coaching model that turns insight into action and delivers measurable results.

What sets us apart? We don't just deliver training; we engineer lasting behavioral change. Our clients consistently report stronger team performance, improved decision-making, and enhanced organizational agility, all translating to quantifiable business results.

Ready to unlock the full potential of your leadership pipeline? Discover how Talent Praxis transforms leadership potential into your competitive advantage.

Defining Leadership by What Leaders Do: Talent Praxis' Blueprint for Competency-Driven Growth

Transformative leadership development begins when organizations stop guessing what good leadership looks like and start defining it with precision.

At Talent Praxis, we partner with organizations to translate informal leadership expectations into structured, behavior-based competencies that drive measurable business outcomes. Our approach moves beyond theory to help companies capture the leadership behaviors already being rewarded, make those patterns visible and consistent, and use them as the foundation for coaching, hiring, performance reviews, and succession planning.

1. Understanding Why Most Competency Models Fail to Create Lasting Change

Many companies already apply competencies informally. Promotions, performance reviews, even who gets high-profile projects—all of these decisions reflect certain leadership behaviors. The problem is that these expectations are rarely named, shared, or consistently applied.

Competency frameworks often fall short because they're:

• Overly generic and disconnected from your unique business context

• Misaligned with actual strategic priorities

• Too complex for practical implementation

• Lacking clear ownership or accountability measures

That's where Talent Praxis comes in. We help clients formalize existing patterns into behavior-based leadership models that are relevant, usable, and directly tied to business goals.

2. Identifying the Leadership Behaviors That Matter Most

Rather than importing someone else’s model or starting from scratch, we begin by uncovering what effective leadership already looks like in your organization.

Our discovery process includes:

• Analyzing real-world decisions (promotions, terminations, 360s)

• Mapping business priorities to required leadership capabilities

• Capturing insights from high-performing leaders and their teams

• Identifying consistent patterns across teams and departments

We ask questions like: In three years, what must our leaders be doing differently to succeed? Which leadership behaviors are creating value, and which are creating friction? What expectations are being reinforced through backchannels that should be made explicit?

The goal is to identify organizationally rewarded behaviors and make them visible, so you can scale what’s working.

3. Designing Practical and Actionable Competency Models

Competencies describe how the work is done. They are observable patterns of behavior shaped by the skills, traits, and expertise leaders use to drive results. At Talent Praxis, we focus on defining these behaviors clearly, rather than relying on vague strengths or leadership stereotypes. A strong leadership model gives people a concrete understanding of what great leadership looks like in practice.

Each Talent Praxis competency includes:

• A clear, behavior-based definition

• Observable actions and identifiable red flags

• Real-world examples from your specific work environment

• Supporting skills, traits, and expertise

• Leveling with the evolution of the competencies across seniority

This creates clarity across the organization. Managers know what’s expected. Employees know what to aim for. And everyone has a shared language for discussing leadership effectiveness.

4. Aligning Leadership Competencies with Business Strategy

Leadership models shouldn’t exist in isolation from your company’s strategic goals. We ensure that competencies reflect both your current environment and the future you’re building toward.

For example, if scaling sustainably is a top priority, we help define what it means to:

• “Lead through ambiguity”

• “Optimize resource allocation”

• “Delegate for scale”

These behaviors then shape coaching conversations, hiring decisions, and performance evaluations.

By aligning competencies with your business strategy, you ensure that leadership development directly builds the behaviors, decision-making skills, and management capabilities required to advance your company’s top priorities and objectives.

5. Embedding Competencies Across the Employee Experience

A competency model only creates value if it’s consistently used. That’s why we focus on embedding your framework across the full employee lifecycle.

We help clients integrate leadership competencies into:

• Onboarding and orientation programs

• Coaching and development initiatives

• Performance reviews and promotion criteria

• Feedback systems and recognition programs

• Team-level training and workshops

When competencies show up everywhere, they begin to shape culture, reinforce accountability, and drive meaningful behavior change throughout the organization.

6. Creating Competency Models That Scale and Adapt Through Coaching

At Talent Praxis, we bring leadership competencies to life through structured coaching, guided experimentation, and personalized leadership planning. Our programs are designed to help leaders turn insight into action by applying new strategies in their real-world context.

Coaching is fully integrated into the competency design process. Leaders not only learn what great leadership looks like but also explore how to apply it through feedback, reflection, and strategic experimentation.

Our three-step model—Clarify the Vision, Discover and Grow, and Craft the Strategy—guides each coaching engagement. Leaders define goals, identify critical behaviors, and create actionable plans to drive meaningful growth.

Rather than relying on abstract development plans, our coaches partner with leaders to:

• Translate broad competencies into clear and personalized leadership goals

• Use experimentation and reflection to assess which behaviors are making the greatest impact

• Adjust development focus as leaders grow, teams change, and priorities evolve

• Build consistent habits into daily management practices like delegation, communication, and performance management

Competency frameworks are most powerful when they evolve with the business. Our coaching approach adapts alongside your organization so that development remains aligned, actionable, and tied to the behaviors that matter most.

7. Clarifying Behavioral Expectations for Leadership Development

The best development plans start with clear expectations. When leaders understand what great leadership looks like in their context, growth becomes intentional and measurable.

Leadership is the process of inspiring others to achieve common goals. People management is the process of organizing and orchestrating people, projects, and processes to ensure effective execution to achieve goals.

We support this clarity by helping organizations define what impactful leadership looks like at different levels, starting with emerging leaders in their first people manager roles and extending to experienced leaders and executives.

This helps create fairer evaluations, stronger coaching conversations, and more equitable opportunities for advancement across the organization.

8. Building a Competency Model That Drives Growth at Every Level

Leadership effectiveness isn’t about one ideal set of strengths. It’s about utilizing diverse strengths to succeed in behaviors aligned with business outcomes. Talent Praxis helps you define success in your unique context, so every leader knows how to grow and every team knows what to expect.

Our behavior-based model becomes a foundation for strategic talent decisions, from performance management to succession planning. And because it evolves alongside your organization, it remains relevant through every stage of growth.

There’s no single formula for leadership success. The most effective leaders have many strengths, but success comes from aligning those strengths with the behaviors the organization values most.

Translate Leadership Insight Into Business Impact

Ready to define what impactful leadership looks like in your organization? Talent Praxis will help you build, implement, and sustain a competency framework that drives real results.

Our proven approach helps you:

• Clarify and align leadership expectations across levels

• Connect coaching and development to strategic business needs

• Create a shared language for leadership effectiveness

• Build a pipeline of leaders ready for tomorrow’s challenges

Let’s turn insight into action. Partner with Talent Praxis to create a competency framework that transforms potential into performance.

Receiving Feedback

You can prepare to receive feedback and see the feedback as information to be successful. 

Consider how to analyze the feedback you receive productively to build an actionable plan for growth and development that embodies your strengths and opportunities. Discuss how you can best receive feedback with your coach. 

Consider How You Receive Feedback 

“How we receive feedback is actually more important than how feedback is given”  – Stone & Heen

Asking for feedback allows us to learn how we are meeting expectations. When we receive feedback well, feedback becomes a valuable resource. The better we receive it and clarify what is said, the better we can train those around us to give us more useful feedback to accomplish our goals. 

Receiving feedback well is more than just nodding your head. Draw awareness and aim to anticipate your emotional responses. When you are receiving feedback, practice active listening. In this way, you will increase the probability of getting value from the current feedback and receiving additional feedback in the future. End with “Thank you for the feedback.”

Reflect on:

• What are your goals from the feedback? What are you hoping to learn?

• What is helpful context or relationship dynamics you may want to reflect on?

• How well do you receive feedback?

• How easily are you able to process information objectively?

• What would allow you to process the information objectively?

• What trigger may come up to bias the information at hand?

• Which stakeholders, tools, or resources can you utilize to contextualize and prioritize the feedback? How can you determine what’s important?

• How can you turn your takeaways from the feedback into action plans?

• How can you hold yourself accountable to those plans?

Five Steps for Receiving Feedback

To receive feedback as objective information that can allow you to be successful practice these 5 steps:

#1 Consider your environment:

Think about both your internal and external environment.

Are you focused? Are you present? Are you in a mindset to think openly and creatively about the information that will be presented to you?

What else is going on around you? Are there distractions or competing priorities? How can you create an environment to process information objectively?

#2 Be mindful of context:

Think about your goals for the feedback and what you are hoping to receive. What are your expectations?

Consider the triggers listed above, what may come up for you? What other biases or context may prevent you from receiving the feedback objectively?

#3 Describe objectively:

Review the feedback to find objective information. Take notes from the feedback without rewording but rather considering what is written and compiling it into trends and categories to review. Consider these questions to help you bucket the feedback objectively in a variety of ways to look for trends and learnings:

• What are my greatest strengths from this feedback? Not your opinion, but objectively where do you get the highest quantitative scores, and where do you see the most positive trends in qualitative data? Answer this question by copying and pasting exact quotes and data from the 360.

• What are my greatest opportunities for growth from this feedback? Not your opinion, but objectively where do you get the lowest quantitative scores, and where do you see the most constuctive trends in qualitative data? Answer this question by copying and pasting exact quotes and data from the 360.

• Overall, how is your performance measured as a leader? Start by noting the standard performance expectations of you as a leader. This may come from your job description, expectations from the company, or expectations you have discussed with stakeholders. Next review the feedback, where do you have quantitative or qualitative responses that speak to your performance as a leader? Answer this question by copying and pasting exact quotes and data from the 360.

• What is your leadership style? Where do you have quantitative or qualitative responses that speak to your leadership style? Answer this question by copying and pasting exact quotes and data from the 360.

• What are your professional goals, objectives, or KPIs? Where do you have quantitative or qualitative responses that speak to your goals? Answer this question by copying and pasting exact quotes and data from the 360.

• How else could you objectively review the information? Do you see any other commonalities, trends, outliers, words, or notes worth pointing out?

Once you have reviewed the data in a variety of ways reserve any judgment or opinion. Step away from your feedback. This is all just information, you have not yet determined its value.

#4 Add value:

Now you can add value, meaning, opinion, priority, judgment, and impact to the feedback you have reviewed. A couple of options here:

1. Review with internal stakeholders: Consider who are the internal stakeholders who can help you contextualize the relative importance of the information or findings you have noted? “I found these trends in my 360, and I am curious what you think of them and how I should prioritize or focus on them moving forward to achieve my goals?”

2. What strengths did you note from your 360? How can you utilize those strengths moving forward?

3. What opportunities for growth did you note from your 360? If you were able to seize those growth opportunities which would have a meaningful impact on your success moving forward?

4. What other value, priority, impact, meaning, or judgment is important to consider here to determine the feedback you want to apply as a takeaway?

#5 Turn takeaways into next steps:

• What have you learned about yourself? Your team? Your work? Your goals?

• What are your takeaways?

• How do you want to apply this?

• In a perfect world, what does success look like from applying your feedback takeaways? How far are you from that today? What are your first steps to getting to your ideal place?

• How can you hold yourself accountable to your action plans?

Tools to prep for receiving feedback:

• Thanks for the Feedback

• Active listening

• Podcast on receiving feedback

The Four Most Discussed Topics in Executive Coaching

Coaching is a dynamic partnership, where the coach partners with the coachee through a question-based creative process to find inspired solutions. We respect and believe in each coachee's expertise and act as a partner to help unlock potential. In turn, we look to the coachee to direct an impactful goal, focus, and purpose for the coaching conversation. 

At Talent Praxis, we provide coaching services for individuals ranging from emerging leaders to directors, senior vice presidents, and C-suite executives. We partner with high performers looking to invest in their growth and goals. Our coaching conversations provide a space for forward-looking strategic thinking and self-discovery. 

The Talent Praxis Process: Three Steps to Strategic Leadership

Clarify Your Vision
Define clear leadership goals and identify the strategic focuses that will drive success, alignment, and team performance across the organization.

Discover & Grow
Leverage proven frameworks, expert insights, and powerful questioning to spark reflection, deepen awareness, and experiment with growth strategies.

Craft Your Strategy
Identify essential leadership behaviors, develop actionable plans, and implement feedback loops to drive impactful, sustainable results.

See below for inspiration on what you may want to discuss in coaching.

Four Most Covered Topics in Leadership Coaching

These are the most common topics that leaders cover in coaching:

1. Setting and achieving impactful goals

2. Managing your team for high-performance

3. Nurturing strong relationships

4. Working and leading strategically

See more on each of these topics below.

Setting and Achieving Impactful Goals

This may be focused on a motivating vision and purpose for your team, goal-setting, prioritization, communicating goals, or time management.

This topic may come up due to a natural cycle at the company where you are setting goals for the next year or quarter or petitioning for more headcount. This may also come up when the direction, targets, or KPIs of your team have shifted and you are looking to rally your team behind a new vision. 

If your team is disorganized or lacking clear goals and KPIs, it may be due to unclear, miscommunicated, or nonexistent team goals. In this environment, you may feel uncertain about how your team is performing against expectations. Your team members may be missing targets that you thought were well communicated. Your team members likely have a lot on their plate and are unsure of what to prioritize. The interconnected nature of your work may lead to rushed timelines, challenging deadlines, or unfair expectations. 

When attention is lacking on this topic it may feel like you or your team members are in need of focus, drive, motivation, and willingness to do the work. You may also get feedback from others in leadership that feels different than what you would expect to hear. You may think your team is performing well and find that others think differently. 

By communicating a well-defined vision and purpose for your team, you ensure alignment and commitment from both your team members and company leadership, as everyone understands the crucial role your team plays in contributing to the overall success of the organization. With clear goals and priorities, you and your team members have a clear focus and drive. You can more easily have conversations around progress, potential roadblocks, and opportunities, and you’re easily able to advocate for the hard work and success of yourself and your team. 

In leadership coaching, you are the expert in yourself, your role, your team, and your organization. Your coach partners with you to establish an environment and ask questions that enable you to establish a clear vision, mission, and purpose for your team. You can discuss your goals with your coach to consider how they could be more specific, measurable, actionable, or relevant. You can discuss your strategy to consider how to communicate the goals and vision in a way that is clear and motivating. You could also consider how to use your goals as a north star to inform prioritization and time management. 

In coaching, we’ll work together to turn your ideas into actions that achieve results.

Managing Your Team for High Performance

This likely includes setting clear and actionable expectations, delivering useful feedback, and delegation. This would also include longer-term or strategic planning for ongoing high performance.

As a leader, whether you are directly managing or influencing the performance of others this can take up the majority of your time. It is important to have a strategy for performance management that allows you to develop your low performers while spending quality time with your middle performers and creating space for your high performers. 

It is also important that you have time to step out of the weeds and look at the broader strategy. Performance management should not only be the day-to-day performance of your current team members but also the long-term aggregate performance of your team. Over time are you able to reliably meet or exceed expectations regardless of changes to staffing, structure, or goals?

The first step here is to have a good handle on how well your team as a whole is performing against expectations, which further demonstrates the importance of effective goal-setting. 

As a next step, consider the fundamentals. How well do you:

1. Communicate clear and actionable expectations?

2. Deliver regular feedback or information your team members need to be successful?

3. Delegate or distribute the work to your team in the most effective way?

These are not innate skills; instead, they require continuous practice. You should be capable of responding to each question with concrete and objective strategies, methods, and behaviors you, as a leader, actively employ every day.

The three questions above cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. Instead of saying to yourself “Yes, I communicate clear and actionable expectations,” dig deeper: “How do I effectively communicate expectations? What are the results of my actions?”

Your coach can act as a partner in these self-reflections. As coaches, we specialize in the how and why. We may ask: 

• What strategies do you employ? 

• What becomes possible because of those strategies? 

• What does all of this allow for you as a leader? 

• What opportunities do you have? 

These questions go beyond the surface level typically covered in management training programs, as they aim to unearth hidden opportunities and delve into more profound strategic considerations.

Once you have a strong foundation and practice for setting expectations, delivering feedback, and effectively delegating, you’ll begin to look at the bigger picture. This includes contemplating questions such as: 

• In 1 year or 3 years, what have I put in place to ensure my team is able to sustainably hit our goals? 

• What are my strategies around talent development or succession planning? 

• What allows my team to stay agile to changes in the market and company with new technology, shifting priorities, or goals? 

These are all topics you can bring to your coach to begin the process of transforming ideas into concrete actions in collaboration with fellow leaders and team members.

Nurturing Strong Relationships

This likely includes topics around developing influence and trust, communication, aligning expectations, and strategic listening.

With leadership defined as influencing others towards common goals, the ability to build and nurture strong relationships is key. You may start by identifying those you need strong relationships with: 

• Who are the key stakeholders in your work?

• Who supplies you with information, tools, or approval that you and your team members need to be successful?

• Who consumes, interacts with, or benefits from the work that you do?

• Who is a part of ensuring your work is done effectively? 

• Who impacts your ability to achieve goals?

Once you have these key relationships identified you want to consider:

• What motivates and drives these individuals?

• What are their goals and ambitions?

• Why do they work here? What fulfills them about their role or responsibilities?

You could then discuss or consider what a strong relationship means to you, your team, and your organization. Similar to performance management, you want to avoid asking yourself yes or no questions. Instead of, “Yes, I develop influence and trust very well,” consider, “How do I develop influence and trust? What does this look like in practice, and what are the results that suggest my strategies are effective?”

In these conversations, your coach can be a very helpful partner to challenge your assumptions, consider your biases, and develop strategies to test the efficacy of your approach. 

At Talent Praxis, we exclusively work with the high performers that companies are investing in. We rarely focus on addressing glaring deficiencies; rather, we provide space for you to consider strategic opportunities. To determine if relationship-building is a useful focus for coaching, consider: if you spent more time and intentionality on your strategy to nurture strong relations, what could be possible?

Working and Leading Strategically

This looks like focusing on the most valuable and high-impact work while proactively engaging in future opportunities. This likely includes developing your custom leadership strategy and style. This also may include advocating for yourself and your interests. 

You may approach this topic by foundationally considering:

• Your personal values and goals

• Why you are a leader and/ or manager

• Your personal leadership style

• What you enjoy most about your work

• Your workstyles, approach, and habitual tendencies

Your ability to focus on the most valuable and high-impact work is driven by a deeper awareness of yourself, your goals, and how you operate. To lead your team strategically you need to know yourself and structure your role and team in a way that is fulfilling to you while still providing value to your organization. 

As a leader, you may know that you love collaborating with people, diving deep into formulas on a spreadsheet, or really crunching numbers and analyzing data. Discuss these things with your coach to consider how you can utilize your strengths and personal preferences to develop a strategic work and leadership style. 

You could also zoom out more on this topic to think critically about the time you spend away from deadlines, priorities, and tangible goals, including: 

• When do you spend time getting to know your team members?

• How do you spend time exploring your industry, competitors, or customers?

• Where can you make time to network and learn from others?

Your coach will support you in formulating strategies to prioritize tasks that might not have an immediate effect on your daily responsibilities but are likely to significantly enhance your personal fulfillment and long-term strategy.

Additionally, think about your own motivators, goals, and ambitions. In coaching, this means moving past the title or compensation you hope to achieve and, instead, delving into what truly motivates and excites you about your professional endeavors. This includes reflecting on questions like: 

• If you could spend more time on things that keep you very engaged and fulfilled, what would that look like? 

• What value do you hope to deliver as a leader and what inspires you? 

Ultimately, your work with your Talent Praxis coach will develop your self-awareness and consider opportunities for your own growth, development, and enjoyment, all while aligning with the needs of your team and organization.

See more on the core topics we cover here and sign up for our newsletter for tools directly in your inbox. 

A Manager’s Role in Coaching

Praxis is the gap between theory and practice. Talent Praxis focuses on helping leaders turn their ideas into actions ultimately developing an ongoing strategic practice to achieve their goals.

What is Coaching?

With Talent Praxis, coaching is a partnership, where the coach partners with the coachee through a question-based creative process to find inspired solutions. The coach respects and believes in the coachee's expertise and acts as a partner to help unlock potential.

Talent Praxis utilizes coaching for strategic skills in leadership where there is no clear solution. In these situations, options are endless for any challenge or opportunity based on the leader's skills and needs, the skills and needs of the audience, and the unique needs of the organization.

The most common leadership topics are:

1. Setting and achieving impactful goals

2. Managing your team for high-performance

3. Nurturing strong relationships

4. Working and leading strategically

What Can Leaders Expect in Coaching?

Coaching is a partnership based on creative questions and observations to find inspired solutions.

Coaching is unlike training, advisement, or consulting in that the coach is not there to give advice or tell leaders specific next steps but rather to ask questions and create a space where leaders tap into greater awareness and determine the best approach to achieve their goals.

Coachees can expect their coach to look at them as a partner in setting a valuable coaching focus, building their plan for coaching, and determining topics on upcoming calls. Expect questions like:

• What are you hoping to get out of coaching?

• What would be a valuable focus for coaching?

• What is on your mind for today’s call? What do you want to focus on today?

• Where’s the best place to start? Where should we go from here?

Coaching is also unlike therapy because coaching is more focused on progress and looking toward the future. Coaching is also not diagnostic. There is not one way to be a great leader, so the coach is not there to diagnose leadership capabilities but rather to inspire and empower coachees to explore them.

You can expect a coach to share observations for discussion, ask coachees what they are observing from things they share, and ask coachees thought-provoking questions such as:

• How is this important to you?

• If you achieve this what becomes possible?

• If you remove barriers what can you learn?

• Looking forward to the moment you achieve your goal, what is present?

Through our intake process, reviewing guides on the most common leadership topics, and partnering with a coach leaders can set a valuable focus for coaching and create a strategic plan to achieve their goals.

Before Coaching Begins

Onboarding in coaching starts with setting a meaningful focus for coaching and building a custom coaching plan. A coaching focus often reviews:

1. The individual’s current work objectives and goals

2. Their personal goals and career ambitions

3. Any recent feedback both positive and constructive

4. How well work is aligned with their current expectations

5. How they and their team are performing against expectations 

TPCS builds custom onboarding and intake processes with companies to best collect this information and help participants consider multiple perspectives as they go into coaching. As a manager, you should help with this as well. 

In a 1:1 consider discussing the points above. “I am excited you have the opportunity for leadership coaching. I want to help you brainstorm a potential coaching focus, so you can get the most from the experience. Can we dedicate our next 1:1 to discussing impactful coaching focuses? How would you like to prep for that call or is there anything specific you would like to discuss?”

Things you may want to brainstorm on:

• What are this individual’s role and responsibilities?

• What are their strategic focuses for the next 6-12 months?

• Overall how would you summarize their performance? Their team’s performance? 

• How do you measure the success of this individual’s performance? Their team’s performance? 

• If they focus on anything strategically with a leadership coach, what may have the biggest impact on their development, their team’s performance, your department, and the company?

Checking in Throughout the Program

We encourage you to check in on your team member’s progress in your one-on-ones and support them in their coaching journey. To track success from coaching we use the Kirkpatrick learning evaluation framework. We collect data on (1) general satisfaction, (2) knowledge acquisition, (3) changes made from coaching, and (4) results from those changes. 

You can also assess this more regularly in 1:1 conversation using the questions below.

• Satisfaction: How are you liking coaching? What do you enjoy about it?

• Learning Acquisition: What topics are you discussing in coaching? What are you finding useful? What have been your key takeaways? What have you learned from coaching? 

• Changes: What have you applied from coaching? What changes have you made as a result of coaching? What are you testing or doing differently as a result of your coaching conversations?

• Results: How has coaching been beneficial? What are the results of the changes you made? How has coaching been impactful on your goals, your approach to leadership, etc?

After Coaching

At Talent Praxis we believe that management and leadership are ongoing practices to achieve results rather than skills learned once. Coaching goes deeper than acquiring knowledge by focusing on evoking awareness, discussing behavioral changes, and developing ongoing strategic practices. Learnings from coaching should not be something participants apply and then move on from but rather ongoing changes in how they approach work.

After coaching check with your team member on takeaways with discussions using questions such as:

• What was most impactful from your coaching engagement?

• What do you want to take away from your time in coaching?

• What progress have you made?

• How can you measure progress or success?

• What do you want to apply moving forward?

• How do you want to hold yourself accountable to your progress?

• What does the future hold?

• How can I best support you in your goals?

Thank you for investing in your team member’s growth and development and creating the space for them to grow. If you have any questions about coaching or your role in coaching email us at hello@talent-praxis.com.

Additional resources:

• Aligning on Expectations

• Discussing Feedback

• Listening Strategically

• Coaching Your Team Members

Coaching as a Manager and Leader

Coaching is a partnership, where the coach partners with the coachee through a question-based creative process to find inspired solutions. Management, leadership, and coaching have been used interchangeably, but in reality, coaching is not a value, leadership style, or personality. Coaching is an action, a behavior. To really embody the techniques of coaching, it is important to distinguish what coaching behaviors are. 

To coach as a manager or leader, you need to intentionally adopt the coach position and actively practice coaching behaviors and techniques. This resource walks through coaching techniques and specific actions you can begin practicing in the workplace today. 

One of the techniques is a coaching framework, GROW. As a manager or leader, you could walk through a complete coaching framework or practice some of the other techniques to begin applying coaching behaviors. It may be best to practice coaching behaviors before applying a full framework, but consider what best suits your strengths, team member’s needs, and your relationship. 

Practice Applying Coaching Techniques

The Coach Position

Coaching is a partnership. This means that when you are actively practicing coaching you are meant to be a partner. This is an immediate challenge with a manager-direct report or leader-follower relationship. 

Ethically it is important to remember that you are also the manager or an authority figure. While taking steps to shift into a coach position, you will need to be mindful of the other hats you wear and cannot take off due to your position of authority and power. Coaching is a powerful tool for managers and leaders, but anytime your intentions go beyond the needs of your “client” to the needs of the company and team, the coaching relationship needs an extra layer of care.

Step 1: Define and Communicate Your Boundaries

To enter into the coach position, first consider your boundaries. What may cause you to take off your coach hat and wear your manager or leader hat? What can you keep confidential in a coaching conversation and what may you need to share with others? 

Certified coaches abide by ethical certification standards around confidentiality and reporting, these often revolve around transparency and alignment with your client. Align on expectations around roles, confidentiality, reporting, and ethics up front with your team members.

Some things you may want to define and align on:

• What information is confidential in discussions with your team members:

• “My responsibilities as a manager are to you as my team member but also to our team and company. I want you to feel comfortable coming to me with questions, concerns, and needs. I will keep the information you share with me confidential, unless it relates to X [LIST EXCEPTIONS] or we discuss a strategy for me to share the information.” OR

• “Transparency is important to me and our team because of [Y]. That being said, I want you to feel comfortable coming to me with questions, concerns, and needs. If you ever want to discuss something in confidence let me know and unless the conversation relates to X [LIST EXCEPTIONS] or we discuss a strategy for me to share the information, I will keep our conversation confidential.”

• Your role in a coaching conversation:

• More ad hoc/ informal coaching: “At times, especially when I observe you have the necessary skills to achieve your goals, I may practice coaching or partnering. When I believe you know what to do or know the answers, I may ask more questions than give answers because I want to help inspire you to find solutions on your own. Is this something you may be interested in?”

• More formal coaching framework: “It sounds like you are trying to accomplish X is that correct? I do not have a perfect answer here but really believe you have the skill to solve this. I would like to walk you through a coaching framework, where my role would be to partner with you and ask you questions to find inspired solutions to help you achieve X, would you be open to that?”

• Your team member’s role in a coaching conversation:

• If they say things like “Why are you asking me? Can you tell me what to do?”: “There is not one right way to approach this. You have the most context and skill to consider your options… [Ask your original question differently without leading].”

• More formal coaching: “In coaching, I only ask that you partner with me and consider a different approach.”

• Other ethics, values, or ground rules:

• Plainly state any ethical boundaries or guidelines- if you are unsure consider your employee handbook, manager training, HR department, etc.

• “It is important to me that we are able to X [list value] in our relationship. EXAMPLE [this is what it would look like to me], what would this look like to you?”

• “As ground rules for a productive conversation…” OR “For our call today…” List ground rules could be things like: “I know this is a controversial topic let’s assume good intentions, let’s start with our shared goals, everyone will get a chance to share their opinion, please do not interrupt others, ETC…” “What may you want to add or adjust so this conversation is inclusive to your needs?”

These do not need to be boundaries you should define in the context of coaching exclusively. You can define these more generally in your working relationship. If you are engaging in a full formal coaching framework, reestablish boundaries at the top of the conversation or engagement. If you are practicing coaching techniques and behaviors, align on boundaries more generally in your relationship. 

Step 2: Be Mindful of Yourself

The International Coaching Federation lists three different competencies related to managing your own emotions as a coach:

• “Develops and maintains the ability to regulate one’s emotions”

• “Mentally and emotionally prepares for sessions”

• “Manages one’s emotions to stay present with the client”

As a coach, you are present and focused on your team member. You are able to share observations and ask questions without emotional attachment to what you are saying but instead focused on the value you drive for your team member. Value, as defined by your team member’s needs, not your own.

To accomplish this, start by drawing awareness to your own emotional state. Consider questions like:

• How am I doing?

• What’s on my mind?

• What am I feeling right now?

• What am I focused on?

• What do I need to do or let go of to focus on my team member and their needs?

Next, be mindful of your physical presence and workspace. Consider:

• What does it look like to be present in this conversation?

• How can I remove distractions?

Lastly, be honest about your goals:

• What is my agenda? Am I able to put aside my goals and be open to my team member’s needs?

• What are my opinions on this topic? Am I willing to put aside my opinions and truly believe in the skill and empowerment of my team member’s decisions?

• What is the timeline? Am I willing to take the time to coach?

• Am I in the coach position? Am I willing and able to act as a partner to my team member?

Step 3: Resist Giving the Answers

When you find yourself consistently answering questions or presenting solutions- consider: is this my opinion and approach based on my bias or is this the only right path?

Unless there is only one right answer or only one best answer to a question, problem, or challenge- stop giving them the answers.

• Can your team member approach the situation differently and still be successful? 

• Can you let them approach this differently?

Be honest with yourself here. It is not necessarily a bad thing to answer no to the questions above. It is important to locate yourself and be realistic about whether or not you should be coaching or considering a different approach. 

Asking Powerful Questions

The coaching partnership is often defined as asking questions. Specifically, coaches are looking to ask questions that help to dig deeper, look at a situation from a different perspective, increase understanding, and evoke learning. These are powerful questions. 

The only way to ask a powerful question is to start by listening. You can read more on listening techniques here. You are listening to truly understand your team member’s needs and goals to ask the most value-adding questions at the moment. Your questions should be considered responses to what your team member is saying. Depending on your strengths, your team members’ goals, and your relationship, here are a few types of questions you may want to practice:

Pacing Questions

Pacing questions are focused on observing where someone is in time and asking them questions to help move their focus to the present or an alternative moment in time.

For example, to gently shift the topic of conversation to the present,  instead of saying “ok great, let’s jump in on our agenda” consider asking “what’s on your mind now?”, “where are you now” or “what would help you move to the present?” Then you can kick off an agenda or ask them what they want to cover on their current call.

You can use the same technique to shift from focusing on the present to focus on the future. Rather than abruptly jumping forward by asking- “what are your goals for next year?” pace the shift by asking “I hear that’s where you are today, what does the future look like? What is relevant for you then? What are you hoping to accomplish? What are your goals for next year?” Try to observe where their focus is right now and how you can help them envision the future before discussing progress in the future state.

You can also pace metaphorically to help consider other dimensions, aspects, or perspectives. For example, if you observe that your team member is focused on tactical aspects rather than the purpose or the why, consider pacing them up to the why: “I hear what you are looking for tactically, how is that important to you?” Or the opposite, moving from the why to the tactical: “It sounds like x is important, what can you do to accomplish that?”

To learn more about helping your team member shift perspective, explore Dilt’s Logical Levels.

Check-in on Value

Consider applying three check-ins to any meeting or conversation you have.

Initial alignment: when a meeting or conversation starts, or anytime in a conversation when you observe that the high-level goals or purpose are not aligned, pause to align on a starting point. This could be things like:

• “What are our goals for the conversation today?”

• “What do you hope to get out of our time together?”

• “What would be a helpful takeaway?”

• “What would success look like from our conversation?”

• “If our conversation today was valuable for you, what would that look like?”

Midpoint check-in: whether you aligned initially or not, midway through a conversation, meeting, or your time with someone, pause to check in:

• “What has been most valuable so far?”

• “What are you observing from our conversation?”

• “How well are we tracking towards your original goal?

• “We have X minutes left together, how can we make the most of the remaining time?”

• “Where should we go from here?”

Wrap-up check-in: in the last 5-10 minutes of any conversation or engagement shift the conversation from active conversation to wrapping up and checking in on what you accomplished:

• “How was this valuable to you?”

• “What is standing out to you from our time today?”

• “What are the highlights or things you want to remember?”

• “What are your takeaways? What may you want to apply or consider further?”

• “How likely are you to commit to that?” How can you hold yourself accountable?”

• “How will you know if you are successful?”

Shift Perspectives 

Perspective-shifting questions allow someone to move away from their current box or thought paradigm and look at the situation differently to gain understanding and awareness. Examples of this include:

• As-if questions: imagine as if X was different, what would become true

• “What if you had all the information you needed already, what would you do next?”

• “Think forward 6 months, what exists then?”

• “Think about your biggest champion or cheerleader, what would they say to you now?”

• “What if you could make this even better, what would that look like?”

• “If you could create a perfect world, what would that be?”

• Add a scale or quantify the intangible: 

• “If 10 is your ideal state, where are you today?” “Where do you want to be by the end of this call?”

• “What percent are you committed to this decision?” “How committed do you want to be to move forward?”

• “What’s a metaphor/ example to describe what you are looking for?” “Where are you in relation to that today?” What is one step in the direction of [metaphor/ example]?”

• Find what they are really searching for:

• “What have you already determined you will do and where do you still have open questions to explore?”

• “What are you really looking for?”

• “Why do you need me to give you the answer?” “What do you think my opinion will support you with?”

• “What are you observing from what you’ve shared so far?”

The goal of practicing powerful questions is not to win or be the most successful coach. The goal is to support your team member. When you are practicing these questions observe any emotion or attachment to ego that may arise, be kind to yourself, and let it go. Your effort to practice shows your intention and that care and thoughtfulness will allow you to support your team. 

The GROW Coaching Model

GROW was first developed in 1980 by Sir John Whitmore and colleagues and later popularized in his book “Coaching for Performance” in 2019. While often seen as a coaching framework, Whitmore defines it as a sequence to structure a conversation to unlock potential. 

GROW stands for Goal, Reality, Options and Will.

Questions you can ask to move through GROW.

Goal:

• “What is your goal?”

• “What would be a helpful takeaway?”

• “What would success look like?”

Reality:

• “Where are you now?”

• “What are your challenges or opportunities?”

• “What else should you consider?”

Options:

• “What options do you have?”

• “If you are not limited by X what becomes possible?”

• “What else would lead to an even better outcome?”

Will:

• “What will you commit to moving forward?”

• “When will you do that?”

• “How will you know if you are successful?”

• “How is that important?” 

The GROW sequence is an order of questions. To be effective, start by drawing awareness to where you are and the coach position and be honest about your intentions.

Resources

Dilts, Robert B. “A Brief History of Logical Levels.” Levels Summary, NLPU, 2014, http://www.nlpu.com/Articles/LevelsSummary.htm. 

Whitmore, J. (2009) Coaching for Performance: Growing Human Potential and Purpose—The Principles and Practice of Coaching and Leadership. 4th Edition, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, London.