Leadership & Manager Development
Building strong leaders to boost team performance, retention, and long-term business growth.
The Importance of Developing Leadership
Great managers and leaders are the backbone of organizational performance. Investing in leadership development improves decision-making, reduces turnover costs, and drives innovation. Companies that develop strong leaders see higher profitability and outperform competitors in the marketplace.
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Ask a SHRM Knowledge Advisor for tips on manager development, coaching, and retention strategies.
Key Data Trends
92%
HR executives say people managers are critical to organizational success.
25%
HR executives make the development of people managers a high priority.
54%
HR executives cite coaching and mentoring as key skills to develop.
25%
HR professionals say their orgs are highly effective at leadership development.
Latest News
Enhance leadership skills with budget-friendly peer feedback and coaching strategies, aligning with CHRO priorities for 2026.
Learn how managers can support employee growth when high performers choose not to pursue leadership roles or management.
Create a positive work environment where employee input is valued, leading to better decisions and enhanced productivity.
Three HR leaders share hard-won lessons on growth, community, and business acumen to help you build a career in the industry that's worth investing in.
Week one plays a critical role in how new hires perceive your organization. This culture first onboarding guide shares practical ways to create a first-week experience that builds connection, confidence, and belonging, starting day one.
People Manager Qualification (PMQ)
Strengthen leadership skills, improve team performance, and accelerate your career with SHRM’s PMQ.
Member Resources
Build effective employee development and training programs that close skills gaps, retain talent, and align with organizational goals. Get practical resources and tips.
Use this development plan template to enhance manager effectiveness, promote talent retention, and support employee growth through actionable strategies.
Gain a comprehensive, evidence-based foundation to design, implement, and optimize agile leadership development strategies.
BUILD is the five-letter values acronym Derrick Hall and SVP of People & Culture Joe Walsh co-designed to keep all 2,000 Arizona Diamondbacks employees aligned across full-time, part-time, and global scouting functions. The system replaced an older pocket-card values program that nobody used.