What are some examples of innovative leadership development programs and what made them successful?

I agree that the most effective way to learn is through teaching. Given that, OJT is a powerful teaching tool worthy of use in most situations. However, there are a few pitfalls in OJT that must be considered. What gets taught must be carefully documented and followed to the letter by trainers. OJT can lend itself to proliferating bad habits unless the process is carefully documented and taught the same by every teacher/leader. Such is the case in Job Safety Analyses (JSA). A JSA is written and reviewed on a regular basis to ensure bad habits are not proliferated by the process. 70% for OJT seems a bit high, so perhaps a 50:30:20 model would seem more balanced. Again, trainers learn something each time they teach.

This framework is a good starting point, but for leadership development to be most effective it should be tailored to the specific person, company, and role.

70:29:10 is a great model and can be strengthened by encompasses elements of job rotation and job shadow. A rotation program that allows people to step out of their comfort zone while still providing a safe environment for experimentation and tolerance for errors can be an important addition to on-the-job learning. Job shadowing is another technique that if used purposefully can not only help build skills but help people decide if a role is really right for their aspirations.

Proximity is power which means surrounding yourself with other leaders and those you respect will always raise your game. Learning with the 70/20/10 model promotes this concept well. I also believe that in the current pace of the today's business climate, formal training should be limited, especially in this new hybrid world. Studies have shown that if you listen to a training session, you will retain about 10% over time, if you listen and take notes you will retain 40% over time, but if you listen, take notes and participate it jumps to 90%. On the job learning promotes a path to the 90% when you participate in your own learning and development and learn from others. This also will encourage collaboration and human connection.

The 70-20-10 is a good model for lower to average level of leadership. Higher leadership levels can be achieved with a fairly different combination, i.e. 30-50-20. Effective leaders interact more with the social environment/market/target groups/beneficiaries and with higher education institution where they recruit talent and get more innovation input.

I first encountered reverse mentoring when I interviewed Tonille Miller on The Future of Teamwork Podcast. Since then I am seeing it a lot! My new colleague Kurt Landon has shown me how his team created a seat on the ELT for one of their early career team members - which is radical and refreshing! This approach drives leadership development as a team AND reinforces a culture which believes in promoting Autonomy, Belonging and Competence at every level of the organization - which is a construct that Rachel Llanes at the Gardin Group talks about in our upcoming show. All that is to say that investing in various forms of learning is important, AND creating space to practice and share what we learned is enhanced by reverse mentoring.

The reverse mentoring program’s success lies in fostering cross-generational collaboration, enhancing communication, and promoting a culture of diversity and innovation. Pairing senior leaders with junior employees facilitates the exchange of skills, perspectives, and insights, enabling leaders to stay abreast of emerging trends, technologies, and customer needs.

I think this is a fabulous idea. I see potential to combine this with something I do which is give people the opportunity to "try before they buy" a new role. When someone has a desire to progress into a different department but they don't fully understand it, I organize them to spend time there before committing - this could be combined with the leader of that area, being reverse mentored by such individuals for fresh insights!

That is also the best method to train young leaders without calling it teaching. I do not see it as a reverse mentoring. It is pure mentoring that uses a most effective method to motivate the future young leaders: giving them the perspective that they change the energy inside the organization by providing the higher management new innovative ideas and tools.

I just finished reading Arthur C. Brooks Book - From Strength to Strength that emphasizes the two halves of life and their associated intelligence curves - He calls the first half the Fluid Intelligence Curve and the second the Crystalized Intelligence Curve. According to Brooks, life satisfaction is enhanced when people transition well from one to the other and programs like Reverse Mentoring create a blend of these two intelligences that can enhance job/life satisfaction for both parties. I've definitely benefited from this arrangement at multiple jobs and think this is a great way to develop leaders.

Promoting the best of them always works better, especially when promotion comes with a better income. Badges are good, but they do not pay the rent or tuition.

Personally, I've experienced the allure of gamified learning—clicking that satisfying green button, ticking off lessons, and modules. I've also successfully incorporated this approach into my online programs, witnessing heightened engagement. A prime example is Deloitte's 'D.Academy' Program, where digital platforms and gamified experiences seamlessly blend with its 360-degree feedback system, providing insights from peers, superiors, and subordinates. This rich feedback environment fosters self-awareness, enhancing self-development and leadership effectiveness.

100% have seen the impact of a simple leaderboard. We added a leaderboard with points for attendance, pre-work, and collaboration on a program slack channel. The engagement was unreal. Don’t tell me your leaders don’t have time for pre/post learning. They do - the incentive isn’t there if they’re not doing the work.

Gamified learning is a must to adapt to a generation of learners who do not know a world without the internet, smartphones, gaming systems, etc. My organization's next shift towards gamified learning will incorporate AI software to create more personalized, realistic learning environments. The obvious risk is data security.

I agree that rewarding leadership skills growth with promotions or other long-term career value features usually is more motivating than points or badges unless those points or badges are designed to increase promotion opportunities.

Action Learning is a powerful management tool that creates dynamic opportunities for individuals, teams, leaders and organizations to successfully adapt, learn and innovate. It is the only methodology that improves creativity, group dynamics, and learning all at the same time. Participants take responsibility for own, group’s, and organization’s learning. Time is set aside during AL sessions to talk about how learnings can be applied systematically across organization. The coach asks questions during the debriefing portion of the Action Learning session that addresses learning at the individual, team, and organizational level. Encouraging individuals to consider how learning in the team can be applied elsewhere has a multiplier effect.

Action learning is a great way to implement reflective praxis into a group learning approach. By leveraging different perspectives on challenges within a given ecosystem, action learning can provide new insights and deliberate change.

Any of such kind of exercises can lead only to good results. Table top exercises are the best example of efficiency in emergency management. If it works well in emergencies, it works even better in a business as usual environment.

In my experience of designing leadership programmes, we got participants to work on business improvement projects on key topics that had been proposed by top management. This enables participants to learn about true team project collaboration skills, lean six-sigma process improvement techniques, and change management. It also enables the company to get vital suggestions for business critical topics. Furthermore they have to present their projects to the Executive Committee, another key learning opportunity in presentation techniques, and when presenting to top management, a learning in stress mangement too!

Absolutely agree and this is backed up by Malcolm Knowles adult learning theories that state, “The seven principles of adult learning include self-direction, transformation, experience, mentorship, mental orientation, motivation, and readiness to learn”. Action learning that includes choice in what experiences they want to participate in seems to be the most engaging.

The same as the above. Testing people in real life situations is of utmost importance, but one cannot be left at chance. One needs to keep the faith.

One of the greatest benefits of leadership simulations is the feelings that leaders have through the experience. Reflecting on those increases self-awareness and creates long-lasting experience that is almost impossible to create through traditional training.

I have always been in support of leadership simulation. There is nothing like dealing with real life situations that will require real thinking and action. Tools and resources are helpful but being able to apply them directly to situations can be difficult. Simulation also allows for a dry run with feedback. If a decision is made that would not play out well in reality, the simulation will allow for reevaluation and redirection with minimal risk.

Leadership simulations are an excellent opportunity to translate learning into action. They give participants a chance to apply the knowledge they have acquired throughout the leadership program in a safe, feedback rich environment. Within leadership simulations, participants can try out new skills, lead in innovative ways, place themselves within unfamiliar situations, move outside of their comfort zone, solve complex problems, balance competing priories, ask real world questions and gain valuable self-insight. Throughout the process, they receive feedback and can make course corrections based on results and impact. This makes translating new learning easier once they are back within their work settings.

I see a lot of value in these simulations. It allows people to make decisions in a controlled environment, with no real risk, but it still gives them the ability to think through the scenario and better prepare for the future.

While not unique, a peer group combined with personal 1:1 coaching is invaluable. The peer group provides continual support and feedback in a safe environment. The Coaching component helps to enforce what is being learned and pushes the leader to new levels. Both used in combination regularly creates a culture to foster growth and support.

At Happy we have a Level 7 Senior Leadership program, spread over two years. The idea is to build a happy workplace, based on a culture of trust and freedom. The idea is to let your people make decisions without any need for approval, to get people to do what they do best (surprisngly rare in organisations), and to have managers as coach rather than telling people what to do.

As a leadership coach passionate about situational leadership, the Taj employees' extraordinary response during the 2008 Mumbai attacks is unforgettable. Why they did not leave? Why they showed unique leadership daring their own lives ? Here’s few insights: Taj's unique recruitment and training, prioritizing values over education, empowered them to act as customer ambassadors. This was in their crisis response. Taj's innovative STARS incentive system, tying rewards to customer satisfaction, is globally acclaimed. Their customer-centric culture made then act so amidst diversity. I have never found any other parallel example in corporate leadership like the Taj. Hence the DNA of their employees remains the differentiator as a brand.

The Center for Creative Leadership LDP (Leadership Development Program) includes several approaches foundational to its longstanding success. It is an immersive, diverse, cohort model. It involves a team teaching approach, thus keeping things active and engaging. Students receive a thoughtful combination of assessment, challenge, and support, all necessary for personal development. Top-flight, research-based content is delivered using a multi-media framework, lectures, and various exercises and simulations, all of which involve the multiple ways adults learn. I had the benefit of researching the CCL LDP as part of my doctoral program, and found it exemplary for mid-career professionals. It involves both new skills and leadership mindset.