When Jon took over leading more than 20,000 employees, he immediately knew where to focus: driving performance and integrating the cultures of recently acquired organizations. How would he do it quickly and effectively?
Rodney faced a different challenge: getting Children’s Tylenol back on store shelves at Walmart, Walgreens and CVS amidst an RSV season and supply shortages. Customers were furious. How could he solve this?
Joan’s task involved helping a Fortune 10 company expand behavioral health coverage. Her team of 3,000 nurses was critical to addressing booming demand for mental health services. How would she guide her team to focus on patients’ needs?
Despite their varied challenges, Jon, Rodney and Joan prioritized developing their people leaders. They recognized that managers are key to impacting performance.
The Newest Research
A year-long survey of over 1,000 executives, managers, and learning and development (L&D) professionals reveals a universal need for leadership training. Regardless of industry or location, three groups consistently emerged as top priorities. Let’s explore these groups and the insights uncovered.
Group 1: All People Leaders
“We need help at every level,” said Wendy, who oversees training at a 1,200-employee retail company. She described their leadership development as disorganized, akin to a clearance section at Nordstrom Rack. Her company needed shared language, models and frameworks to unify their leadership approach.
The Challenge: Survey data from Lone Rock Leadership and Lead In 30 showed that 31% of respondents identified “all people leaders” as the group most in need of training. Organizations lacking shared priorities, common language, and cross-functional collaboration often struggled.
The Solution: L3Harris, with over 2,000 people leaders, implemented a scalable training solution that avoided travel and accommodated managers across continents and languages. Jon, the executive leading this effort, said, “We weren’t sure we could scale something impactful to all our managers in less than 90 days, but it was remarkably effective.”
Group 2: New Managers
Twenty-one percent of respondents prioritized training new managers. Lisa, working at a national restaurant chain, noted that new supervisors felt overwhelmed. Her organization provided training on trust and communication but lacked foundational tools to help new managers transition from individual contributors to team leaders.
The Challenge: Survey respondents emphasized the need for simplicity and a unified approach. Jayne, head of training at a healthcare company, stated, “New managers are paid to deliver results. We need to help them focus their teams on what matters most.”
The Solution: Joan, leading Care Solutions at Cigna, ensured new managers were trained to establish Team Key Results (TKRs) before receiving other training. This approach emphasized shared priorities and metrics, creating a solid foundation for further development.
Group 3: High-Performing Teams
Nineteen percent of respondents highlighted the importance of supporting leaders in critical or underperforming teams. Brittany, a leader in a large organization, described efforts to increase employee engagement in a department with a fragmented subculture. Michael, Chief People Officer at a pharmaceutical company, prioritized setting up a new product innovation team for success amid multiple product launches.
The Challenge: Rodney at Kenvue, a $13 billion Johnson & Johnson spinoff, inherited a delivery team grappling with pandemic-induced supply chain issues. Parents demanded Children’s Tylenol on shelves immediately. Rodney needed a solution that could deliver quick results.
The Solution: Rodney implemented a 30-day cohort training experience for managers and directors to upgrade their performance capabilities. The results were outstanding: supply chain issues were resolved, and engagement scores soared. Rodney credited the leadership training for their success, saying, “When other executives ask how we did it, I tell them it was the training.”
Where’s Your Greatest Need?
Every organization faces unique challenges, but the need for leadership training is universal. Whether aligning leaders across the organization, developing new managers, or addressing performance in critical teams, targeted training transforms outcomes.
The experiences of L3Harris, Cigna, and Kenvue show that leadership training isn’t just about soft skills. It’s about developing leaders who deliver results. While organizational priorities vary, most needs fall into three categories.
Take the First Step
Where does your organization need leadership training most? Lone Rock Leadership makes it simple to start, whether your focus is on all people leaders, new managers, or high-performing teams.
Join the Webinar
Russ Hill is presenting a free webinar entitled “The 3 Groups That Most Need Leadership Training Now!” He will share Lone Rock Leadership’s study findings and actionable strategies to prioritize leadership training. Learn from real-world case studies and take the first step toward building stronger leaders and teams. The webinar, hosted by SMM Connect, is scheduled for Jan. 9 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Learn more and register to attend. All registrants will be able to view the recorded presentation.
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