Supportive Initiatives To Enhance Leadership Development

Abstract

Fission (pseudonym) faces the challenge of developing new leaders with the skills necessary to lead the workforce of the future, while attempting to help experienced leaders change their beliefs about effective leadership. Fission has implemented several leadership development training programs, but it is not realizing the desired level of success in transferring training concepts into leadership practice. This capstone project used a mixed methods approach to evaluate leadership development program design and implementation processes; discover challenges leaders are facing in transferring training into practice; and identify organizational factors that may be impacting the training transfer culture. The transfer of training conceptual framework (Baldwin & Ford, 1988) provided a foundation for analysis using the three training inputs of trainee characteristics, training design, and work environment which helped to organize data collection and analysis. The study identified five primary findings about leader and organizational support, training design, and integration with performance management and compensation systems.