Before You Launch Another Leadership Program Ask These 7 Questions to Make Sure It’s Worth the Effort

Leadership programs are everywhere. The hard truth? Most don’t stick.

People attend, take notes, maybe feel inspired for a week, and then daily work takes over.

If you’re serious about helping managers grow (and stay that way), start with these seven questions.

1.      Does it solve a real problem?

If you can’t name the business issue this program solves, it’s not ready.

• Ask: What’s actually getting in the way: communication, burnout, trust, accountability?

• KindShift Note: People engage when the learning helps them fix what’s really slowing them down.

2.      Will people see themselves in it?

Generic examples don’t change behavior.

• Ask: Does this reflect how our managers actually work: the deadlines, team pressure, and competing priorities?

• KindShift Note: When people recognize themselves in the content, they care enough to use it.

3.      Does it respect how busy people are?

Your managers don’t need more to do. They need tools that fit into their existing workflow.

• Ask: Can this be applied in real time, during the workday?

• KindShift Note: Change doesn’t happen in a classroom; it happens between meetings.

4.      Will it change how people think, not just what they know?

You can’t PowerPoint your way to better leadership.

• Ask: Does this help people pause and respond differently when things get hard?

• KindShift Note: The right mindset under pressure is worth more than another leadership model.

5.      Will it build connection that lasts beyond the training?

Most programs end when the calendar invite disappears.

• Ask: Does this create a network of leaders who keep learning together, sharing wins, challenges, and real conversations?

• KindShift Note: Growth sticks when leaders have a community to lean on, not just a workbook to file away.

6.      Will it stick when the facilitator leaves?

A program isn’t successful if it depends on outside help forever.

• Ask: Are there simple tools and habits people can keep using after it’s over?

• KindShift Note: The best leadership work fades into the background — because it becomes part of how people lead every day.

7.      Does it feel human?

If it sounds like corporate-speak, people will tune out.

• Ask: Will this help people be more honest, empathetic, and confident —not just more “productive”?

• KindShift Note: Great leadership isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present.

🌱 The Bottom Line

Leadership development isn’t about running another workshop.

It’s about creating lasting habits, shared language, and relationships that make work better for everyone.

That’s what KindShift™ was built for: Simple tools. Real conversations. Lasting change.