Just like elite athletes or musicians, future leaders need structured training to reach their full potential. In an environment defined by unrelenting change, high-performing organizations are taking a deliberate approach to leadership development: a business-aligned strategy that prepares rising talent to actively address the business challenges ahead.
One of the chief challenges in the modern workplace is change. According to a study by Accenture released in 2024, the rate of change across business factors such as labor productivity and IT spending increased 183% between 2019 and 2023.
Unrelenting change challenges upcoming leaders to navigate uncertainty and drive transformation to ensure lasting success. This mission requires leaders to possess skills like empathy, agility, and critical thinking. Leadership development has never been more important.
"Today 's environment is volatile, uncertain, and complex. Nothing is predictable anymore. Leaders must avail themselves to constant evolution and constant change — because the only thing that is constant these days is change.
SHRM Linkage
But what does it take to create a leader with these qualities? "It doesn't happen by accident," Oates-Forney said.
Today's employers must be strategic in how they develop the next class of business leaders. With a tailored, scalable approach to leadership development, organizations can connect individual capability-building with organizational strategy and culture.
These plans prepare organizations to align with future market needs and company values. The pairing of skill-building with organizational strategy creates leaders who are not only equipped with the capabilities they need, but who are also deeply aligned with their employers' priorities.
What's Missing from Talent Pipelines
Strategic thinking and emotional presence are vital leadership skills to thrive in today’s unpredictable environment. They ensure leaders can identify and work through the interconnected dynamics of their organization, said Kristin Barrett, vice president of consulting and executive coach at SHRM Linkage.
Employers often fall short in preparing leaders to grasp the interdependencies that are critical for role readiness today and dynamic relevance tomorrow. Emerging leaders must continuously cultivate empathy, agility, and critical thinking — skills essential for navigating complexity, strengthening resilience and driving impact at every level.
"Organizations that prioritize intentional and experiential leadership development as a business imperative are the ones that thrive with a pipeline of future-ready leaders," Barrett said.
Talent and Leadership Development Drives ROI
An employer's investment in talent is a direct reflection of their commitment to preparing future-ready leaders, with intentional development positioning highly effective leaders for sustainable success. Emerging leaders develop critical skills while amplifying performance, boosting retention, and transforming the culture.
Companies can maximize their return on investment (ROI) on talent and leadership development by designing an approach aligned with the organization's values and strategic priorities. Immersive leadership development programs — including those simulating complex, company-relevant scenarios — are most effective as they challenge leaders to apply their systems thinking and emotional agility skills in the context of the business realities and organizational values.
"When you design interconnected experiences, you foster the application of skills to address real scenarios leaders will face in the work they're doing," Barrett said. "The approach generates greater ROI with improved productivity, engagement, organizational commitment, and agility."
Connecting Leadership Growth to Business Strategy
The most effective leadership development connects individual growth with the organization's broader mission and goals. A tailored, integrated approach helps close capability gaps and positions leaders to succeed in real-world business contexts, according to Barrett.
Alignment of leadership development and organizational purpose is particularly powerful with generations rising in the workforce. This requires organizations to clearly communicate their values, infused in development experiences, and cultivate workers' connection to them — something younger generations cite as a high priority for them. Results from SHRM Linkage's Purposeful Leadership solution show that companies prioritizing values alignment in leadership development see up to 2x revenue growth and 9x employee engagement.
"A leader's alignment to company values is an accelerant," Barrett said. "When there is a shared purpose, individuals show a higher commitment to organizational outcomes."
Preparing the Leaders of Tomorrow
High-performing organizations aren't taking a passive approach to talent and leadership development. They are actively preparing leaders for the roles of tomorrow, training professionals to excel in adaptability, innovation, and systems thinking.
Immersive, intentional development helps organizations build leaders who are not only confident and capable but also deeply aligned with their employees' values, strategy, and vision. In today's business landscape, that kind of alignment is mission critical.
"As a leader, it's not about what you can do yourself," Oates-Forney said. "It's about what you can inspire others to do — with clarity, empathy, and vision."
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