Leadership development systems
Strengthen your organisation’s capacity to develop leaders.
Leadership programs remain one of the most important investments an organisation can make. They develop leaders. But organisations influence leadership behaviour every day.
Through the expectations leaders are held to.
The conversations they have.
The opportunities they are given to practise.
The feedback they receive.
The behaviours that are recognised, rewarded and reinforced.
Together, these influences shape an organisation's leadership development system (LDS).
Leadership programs matter. They just can't carry the whole load.
That's why organisations don't develop leaders through programs alone.
They develop leaders through the system that surrounds them.
A broader ambition for leadership development.
Most organisations are focused on developing better leaders. Less expand this focus to ask: How do we become an organisation that gets better at developing leaders?
Because organisations that consistently develop capable leaders don't rely on programs alone.
They build an environment that continually supports leadership growth, recognising that every investment in leadership development can further foster it.
Not simply by developing better leaders today. But by strengthening the organisation's capacity to develop leaders tomorrow.
That's when leadership development becomes something an organisation does, not simply something it buys.
The LDS Wheel™
An organising principle for understanding, designing and strengthening leadership development systems.
The LDS Wheel™ provides seven lenses that help organisations understand how well their system supports leadership development over time.
Sometimes the most valuable leadership development decision isn't what program to run next.
It's understanding whether the system surrounding that program is helping or hindering leadership development in the first place.
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How leadership development adapts to the environment and changing organisational needs.
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How leadership development aligns with organisational purpose, values and strategy.
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How leadership development extends to leaders at all levels and beyond formal programs.
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How leadership development becomes embedded into everyday work and people practices.
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How leadership development maintains a throughline over time rather than being delivered as once-off initiatives.
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How senior leaders actively shape, champion and reinforce leadership development.
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How the organisation measures leadership development outcomes to continually improve its approach.
Understanding your system to guide future investment
The LDS Snapshot provides a structured way to understand how leadership development currently operates across your organisation and where strengthening the system will have the greatest impact.
Rather than asking whether individual programs are successful, it explores the conditions that influence leadership development across the organisation.
Using the LDS Wheel™ as an organising principle, we'll identify where your system already supports leadership development, where friction exists and where relatively small changes could significantly improve the effectiveness of future leadership development investments.
The result isn't simply a diagnosis.
It's a practical picture of your current leadership development system, mapped to clear priorities to strengthen your organisation's capacity to develop leaders over time.
Forming your Snapshot
Every Snapshot is tailored to your organisation and developed through a collaborative review process.
Together, we'll build a shared understanding of how your leadership development system currently operates, identify the organisational conditions that most influence leadership development and clarify where strengthening the system is likely to have the greatest impact.
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Key question
How does leadership development currently work across the organisation?
Together we:
Review your current leadership development approach, people practices and existing initiatives, then work with key stakeholders to understand how leadership development is experienced across the organisation.
Outcome
A shared understanding of your current leadership development system and the organisational context in which it operates.
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Key question
Where is the system already supporting leadership development, and where is it creating friction?
Together we:
Use the LDS Wheel™ to explore the organisational conditions that influence leadership development and identify opportunities to strengthen them.
Outcome
A clear picture of how your leadership development system is performing across the seven dimensions of the LDS Wheel™.
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Key question
Where will strengthening the system have the greatest impact?
Together we:
Review the findings, identify priorities and consider which opportunities will deliver the most value to your organisation.
Outcome
A shared view of where future leadership development investment is likely to have the greatest impact.
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Key question
What should happen next?
Together we:
Summarise the findings with practical recommendations to strengthen your leadership development system over time.
Outcome
A snapshot of your leadership development system today, with clear priorities for strengthening your organisation's capacity to develop leaders tomorrow.
Your LDS Snapshot includes:
Visual summary
A picture of your current leadership development system highlighting its strengths, opportunities for improvement, and how the seven dimensions of the LDS Wheel™ interact to influence leadership development.
Key insights
A synthesis of the themes, opportunities and sources of friction most influencing leadership development across your organisation.
Recommendations
Practical recommendations for strengthening your Leadership Development System and increasing the impact of future leadership development investments.
Next steps
Clear priorities for where to invest next, whether that means strengthening the existing system through targeted capacity-building initiatives or designing a Leadership Development Blueprint for a future program.
Sponsor playback session
A facilitated discussion with sponsors and key stakeholders to review the findings, build shared understanding and agree on the way forward.
Let's work out what will create the greatest impact.
Whether you're designing a new leadership program, reviewing your current approach or simply exploring where to invest next, I'd love to hear what you're trying to achieve.
Together, we'll work out what will create the greatest impact for your leaders and your organisation.