Great leaders never stop learning, and their growth directly impacts how they lead.
In this article, I share why ongoing leadership training, development, and education are vital to our collective success. Drawing on my years as an executive coach, I’ll highlight key emotional intelligence skills, the importance of being coachable, and the value of leadership education grounded in research. Whether through formal programs or a self-curated reading list, lifelong learning is a non-negotiable for effective leadership.
Even the most seasoned executives can fall into the trap of thinking they’ve “figured it out, ” that they know the direction, the strategy, and the solution. But the truth is, great leadership is a lifelong learning journey—and the more responsibility we carry, the more we need to keep growing.
To lead effectively, learning can’t be left to chance. A strong leadership strategy should intentionally combine training, development, and education. After a career spent coaching executives, I’ve found these three pillars are essential for building emotionally strong, high-impact leaders.
- Leadership Training sharpens core interpersonal skills—listening deeply, responding respectfully, empathizing with your team, and giving specific, actionable feedback.
- Leadership Development is about the mindset. It’s making a conscious, ongoing effort to grow, evolve, and be a “coachable” leader. (I wrote about this idea in a previous post—So You’re a Leader – But Are You Coachable?)
- Leadership Education grounds us in the research. There’s a robust body of knowledge—much of it rooted in management science—that leaders should be familiar with before stepping into the C-suite. While many MBA programs include a few leadership courses, very few offer a holistic curriculum that blends skill-building, academic theory, and coaching.
Training sharpens core interpersonal competencies, deep listening, respectful responses, empathy, and specific, actionable feedback. Development cultivates a growth mindset and coachability, encouraging leaders to seek feedback and evolve continuously. Finally, education grounds leadership in management science and academic theory, offering a robust body of research that few MBA programs comprehensively cover. Together, these elements keep leaders emotionally resilient, strategically informed, and equipped to guide their teams to success.
