If you want leadership to move the business this quarter, you cannot buy leadership development like an annual event.
Most organisations do this backwards.
They plan a big “leadership program” once a year, pick a broad audience, spread the budget thin, and hope it lifts capability.
That is how you end up with sheep dip.
Everyone gets wet. Nobody changes.
Smart HR teams are doing something different.
They’re making faster purchase decisions, using budget deliberately, and working with line leaders to invest in the few people who can drive results now.
Not next year.
This quarter.
The shift: stop buying for fairness, start buying for impact
One size fits all leadership programs create two predictable outcomes:
- your best people get bored because it’s too generic
- your busiest managers attend, then go straight back to the same mess
So HR gets activity, not performance.
If the business needs execution, you need a targeted approach.
That means two things:
- Pick the few who can create a ripple.
- Pick the few who will actually apply it.
Impact without coachability wastes a seat. Coachability without impact wastes budget.
You need both.
Why speed matters (and why waiting a year is a mistake)
If you have leaders who could move the dial now, making them wait for “next year’s cohort” costs you:
- delivery delays
- extra meetings
- slower decisions
- avoidable attrition in key roles
- change fatigue because nothing improves
The point is not to run a program.
The point is to create traction in the business.
So instead of asking, “Who should go on the program next year?” ask:
“Who can create measurable improvement in the next 90 days if we back them properly?”
That question forces a commercial decision.
Make it easy for line leaders to say yes
Senior HR leaders win when buying is simple.
Line managers do not want a long nomination process, a vague program, and unclear outcomes.
They want:
- a clear reason
- a clear timeline
- a clear result
- and confidence it won’t waste time
So give them a simple, tight offer:
“We’re investing in a small group of high-impact leaders this quarter. The aim is faster execution, fewer meetings, cleaner decisions, and stronger accountability. Seats are limited. Nominate the ones who will apply it.”
That shifts it from “training” to performance.
The simple selection method: Impact + Openness to Learning
Here’s the targeting model I recommend because it is quick, practical, and defensible.
You are selecting for two things.
1) High impact potential (they can move the business)
Look for leaders who already touch outcomes:
- run critical teams
- own delivery, customers, risk, or revenue levers
- influence other leaders
- are central to change this quarter
Quick test: If they get better, does the business feel it quickly?
If yes, they are in the frame.
2) Open to learning (they will actually use it)
This is the bigger filter than most HR teams apply.
Because the people who get the most value are not the smartest.
They’re the ones who will:
- take feedback
- try things between sessions
- stop defending old habits
- change what they do on Monday
Quick test: Do they apply, or do they just attend?
A fast nomination process (designed to speed up buying)
If you want quicker purchase decisions, use a process that takes days, not months:
- HR sets the criteria (impact + openness to learning)
- Line leaders nominate 1–2 people each
- HR sanity-checks with one conversation per nominee
- Confirm seats and start within the quarter
Keep it tight. Keep it commercial. Keep it moving.
The language to kill sheep dip (politely, but firmly)
If you need a line you can use internally:
“We’re not doing broad leadership training for the sake of it. We’re investing in a small number of leaders who can drive results this quarter, and we’re choosing people who will apply what they learn.”
That gives you permission to target.
And it signals maturity to the business.
The real ROI lever: choose the right people
Most leadership programs are judged on content and delivery.
They should be judged on selection and application.
If you select people who have real leverage and are open to learning, you get:
- faster decisions
- fewer meetings
- higher standards
- better follow-through
- and visible momentum HR can point to
That is how you build trust with the exec and the board.
When you are ready to find out more, here are a few ways you can connect with me
- Tired of leadership advice that doesn’t work in the real world? → Get practical insights that actually work
- Stuck in the leadership weeds and can’t see a way out? → Book your 1:1 Strategic Breakthrough Session
- Ready to reclaim 6+ hours weekly and lead with confidence instead of firefighting in chaos? → Discover Amplify
- Exhausted from your team needing constant oversight and direction? → Transform them with WoW
- Burning out from leadership overwhelm? → Get the antidote (my book)
- Ready to lead difficult conversations with confidence? → Download the free PIXAR Tool
