How leaders actually learn
Most leadership development doesn't work. We design learning differently. Grounded in how adults actually develop, structured for lasting behavior change, and anchored in your real leadership challenges.
Learning that sticks, not just sessions that feel good
We've all been to training that felt inspiring in the moment, then faded within weeks. The problem isn't the content. It's the design.
Adults don't learn like students in classrooms. They learn by doing, reflecting, and iterating. Especially when the stakes are real and the challenges are their own.
That's why our approach starts with your actual leadership context, builds in practice and accountability, and sustains over time. We don't deliver content. We facilitate transformation.
What traditional training gets wrong
One-size-fits-all content
Leaders at different levels, in different contexts, facing different challenges need different development approaches.
One-time events
A two-day workshop creates a moment of insight, but lasting behavior change requires sustained engagement over months.
Theory without practice
Knowing what good leadership looks like isn't the same as being able to do it under pressure.
Individual focus in isolation
Leaders develop in context. When we ignore organizational systems, leaders return to environments that resist their growth.
No measurement or follow-through
Without accountability structures and progress tracking, even motivated leaders struggle to maintain momentum.
How leaders actually develop
Three decades of research at the Center for Creative Leadership reveals a consistent pattern: leaders learn mostly through experience, significantly through relationships, and meaningfully through formal learning.
Challenging Experiences
The majority of leadership development happens through stretch assignments, new responsibilities, and real-world challenges. We design learning around your actual work.
- Leading high-stakes initiatives outside your comfort zone
- Navigating organizational change or turnarounds
- Expanding scope across functions or geographies
- Tackling problems without clear solutions
Developmental Relationships
Mentors, coaches, peers, and even direct reports shape how leaders grow. We build cohorts and coaching relationships that accelerate development.
- Peer learning in leadership cohorts
- One-on-one coaching partnerships
- Feedback from stakeholders and 360° assessments
- Learning partners for accountability
Formal Learning
Workshops, courses, and content matter; but as amplifiers, not foundations. We design formal learning to boost insights from the other 90%.
- Frameworks that make sense of experience
- Tools and models for immediate application
- Content timed to developmental moments
- Reflection structures for deeper insight
The amplifier effect: While formal learning represents only 10% of the model, it dramatically amplifies learning from experiences and relationships; providing frameworks that make sense of what you're living through.
Ready to learn differently?
If you're tired of training that doesn't stick, let's talk about development that actually works.
Start a ConversationPrinciples that guide everything we design
Adult learning science tells us how experienced professionals develop new capabilities. We build every program around these research-backed principles.
Start with Real Challenges
Adults learn best when tackling problems they actually face. We anchor all development in the real leadership challenges you're navigating, not hypothetical scenarios.
Leverage Your Experience
You bring decades of experience to every learning moment. Our approach draws on what you already know, helping you see familiar situations through new lenses.
Learn by Doing
Leadership isn't learned by listening, it's learned by practicing. Every program includes structured opportunities to try new approaches and reflect on the results.
Create Space for Reflection
Experience without reflection is just activity. We build in deliberate reflection cycles so insights become integrated into how you lead.
Sustain Over Time
One-time events don't create lasting change. Our programs unfold over months, with spaced learning that builds habits rather than just awareness.
Build in Accountability
Good intentions fade without structure. Cohorts, coaching, and application assignments keep development on track when daily demands compete for attention.
From experience to expertise
Experience alone doesn't guarantee learning. What transforms experience into development is moving intentionally through reflection, sense-making, and experimentation.
Experience
Engage in real leadership challenges, not case studies or simulations. The best learning happens when the stakes are real and the outcomes matter.
Reflect
Step back to examine what happened and why. Structured reflection turns experience into insight you can use again.
Conceptualize
Connect your experience to frameworks and models that explain what you observed. Theory becomes meaningful when it illuminates your reality.
Experiment
Try new approaches based on your insights. Test, adjust, and iterate until new behaviors become natural.
What makes development actually transfer
Knowledge that stays in the workshop doesn't help anyone. These four factors determine whether learning translates to changed behavior on the job.
Spaced Learning
Rather than cramming, we spread development over months with regular touchpoints, matching how memory and habits actually form.
Immediate Application
Every concept comes with a challenge to apply it in your real work. Practice converts knowledge to capability.
Peer Accountability
Cohorts and learning partners keep you committed when competing demands threaten to derail your development.
Coaching Support
A thinking partner helps you navigate obstacles, process setbacks, and maintain momentum through the messy middle of change.
Our approach works best when you're ready to invest
Evidence-based development isn't passive consumption. It requires engagement, practice, and commitment. Our approach adds the most value when:
- You're facing real leadership challenges you want to get better at handling
- You're willing to practice new approaches and accept that it will feel awkward at first
- You have time and space to sustain development over months, not just days
- Your organization supports your growth and will notice when you change
- You're open to feedback. Including feedback that challenges your self-perception
What makes our approach different
Evidence-Based Design
Every program element is grounded in learning science, from spaced repetition to deliberate practice to social learning.
Experience-First
We design around real work challenges, not classroom exercises. Your actual leadership context is the curriculum.
Cohort-Powered
Learning with peers creates accountability, normalizes struggle, and builds networks that last beyond the program.
Coaching-Integrated
Professional coaching is woven through our programs, ensuring personalized support for each leader's unique journey.
Experience development that works
Whether you're looking for individual development, team learning, or organization-wide programs, we'll help you design an approach that creates real, lasting change.
Explore our learning options
Cohort Training
Multi-monthIn-depth programs running over multiple months with regular sessions. Participants benefit from follow-up coaching on challenges implementing materials from previous sessions.
Courses & Workshops
1-3 daysShorter learning experiences that run for 1-3 days. Usually scheduled back-to-back but can be spread over a week or two for flexibility.
Topic Focused Learning
1-4 hoursMicrolearning sessions covering a specific topic in 1-4 hours. Ideal for remote learning and busy schedules.