Yesterday’s Advisor shared some results from PROOF, a report on the effectiveness of leadership development programs from Development Dimensions International’s (DDI). Today, we present more results from this wide-ranging study.
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In PROOF, 6,408 managers, peers, and direct reports rated how leaders’ behavior changed after they applied Interactive Metronome (IM) training:
- 41% more leaders became effective at asking for others’ help and encouraging their involvement (76% of leaders overall were effective).
- 39% more leaders became effective at maintaining or enhancing others’ self-esteem (75% of leaders overall were effective)
- 33% more leaders were effective at supporting others without removing individual responsibility (77% of leaders overall were effective)
- 32% more leaders were effective at listening and responding with empathy (7% of leaders overall were effective)
- 31% more leaders were effective at openly sharing their feelings and concerns (77% of leaders overall were effective)
Other key findings in the study include:
- Leadership development helps young leaders make up for inexperience. Before undergoing IM training, only 52% of leaders with 1 to 2 years of experience in a leadership role rated themselves as effective leaders, while 60% of leaders with 10 or more years in the role thought they were effective. After IM training, roughly 85% of leaders at all levels of experience rate themselves as effective.
- Women feel more confident in their roles after leadership development programs. Among women leaders, 82% reported that they were more confident leaders as a result of participating in IM programs.
- Leaders take their training home with them. Among more than 300 leaders who participated in at least one IM course, 82% reported that they also used the skills they learned to improve their relationships at home and in their communities.
“I’m especially excited that the study is replete with actionable recommendations for companies and their leaders to get the most out of their leadership development initiatives,” said Barry Stern, PhD, senior vice president, Accelerated Development Solutions, DDI.
View the complete study PROOF here.