The newest data from a massive, year-long survey involving more than 1,000 executives, managers, and learning and development (L&D) team members reveals a common theme of where organizations have the greatest need for training. No matter the industry or location of an organization, the research shows the same three groups inside companies need the most development.
Group 1: All People Leaders
“We need help at every level,” Wendy, a retail training leader, explained. Her organization struggled with a fragmented leadership development approach. The survey, conducted by Lone Rock Leadership and the faculty of Lead In 30, found that 31% of respondents identified training all people leaders as their top priority.
The Challenge: Companies lacking leadership training for all managers often suffer from misaligned priorities, inconsistent communication and poor cross-functional collaboration.
The Solution: L3Harris needed to train over 2,000 managers across multiple continents without disrupting operations.
A scalable program that created clarity, alignment and movement within 90 days was implemented. “We weren’t sure we could reach all our managers and create that kind of impact. It was remarkably effective,” the client noted.
Group 2: New Managers
Twenty-one percent of respondents prioritized training for new managers. “They feel overwhelmed,” said Lisa, who oversees leadership development at a national restaurant chain. While her company provided content on trust and communication, they lacked a structured approach to helping new managers succeed.
- The Challenge: Organizations need simple, clear training that helps new managers shift from individual contributors to effective leaders who drive results.
- The Solution: Joan, head of Care Solutions at Cigna, ensured that all new managers were trained in establishing team key results (TKRs) before receiving any other leadership By focusing on shared priorities and measurable outcomes first, she laid a foundation for success.
Group 3: High-Performing Teams
Nineteen percent of respondents highlighted the need to develop managers responsible for performance-critical teams. Brittany, a corporate training leader, shared that her company struggled with low engagement in certain departments, while
Michael, chief people officer at a pharmaceutical firm, needed to set a new product innovation team up for success.
The Challenge: Rodney, who led the delivery team at Kenvue during the pandemic, faced supply chain disruptions that prevented essential products from reaching retailers.
Parents of sick children didn’t care about logistics — they just wanted medicine on store shelves.
The Solution: Rodney focused leadership training on his managers and directors, implementing a 30-day cohort training program designed to drive immediate performance improvements. “Not only did we solve the supply chain issues, but we also had the highest engagement scores in the entire corporation,” he said.
Where’s Your Greatest Need?
Every organization faces unique challenges, but the need for leadership training is universal. Whether your focus is aligning leaders across departments, equipping new managers or driving performance in key teams, targeted leadership development can transform results.
The experiences of L3Harris, Cigna and Kenvue demonstrate that leadership training goes beyond soft skills; It develops leaders who deliver measurable outcomes.
Where does your organization need leadership training the most?
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