Thanks to everyone who attended our webinar last week on “Stepping Up: Navigating Leadership Transitions.” If you missed it, here’s the replay and below are three things that stood out from our conversation.
The Big Backdrop
50–70% of executives fail within 18 months of stepping into a new role. It’s a brutal stat, but here’s the thing: it’s not about the leaders. It’s about the environment we build around them.Traditional programs train leaders in isolation and hope the behavior sticks. Real, lasting shift only happens when leaders learn and adapt together.
Three Levers That Actually Work
We walked through three of the nine levers that we’ve learned at The Roundtable transform leadership development from an “inspirational event” to measurable ROI. Here’s the condensed version:
1. Measurable Outcomes: You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Beginning with a behavioural 360 assessment (we’re fans of MRG’s LEA360) gives leaders clear, behaviourally anchored data on where they are and where they need to shift. The research is stark: what works at middle management is completely different than what works at first-line or executive level. Learning frameworks have to account for that specificity and provide leaders with the clarity they need to make the required shifts.
2. Aligned Expectations: This is where most programs leak. A manager tells a leader to be “more strategic,” but what does that mean on Tuesday at 10 a.m.? Manager Alignment Meetings can bridge that gap. It turns the manager from passive observer into active coach and gets both the leader and their key sponsor on the same page about what the expectations for behaviour need to be.
3. Positive Peer Pressure: Workshops create short-term inspiration. Peer cohorts create long-term habit change. When leaders report progress to their peers month after month, something shifts. The accountability is real because it’s coming from people they respect.
Go Deeper
Learn more about exactly which behaviours leaders need to dial up (and dial down) as they move through the ranks by diving into our partner MRG’s research findings. It’s data from 15,000+ leaders and gives you the specificity you need to spot gaps in your pipeline.
Ready to move this forward? We have three ideas:
Explore Roundtable for Leaders for your high-potential pipeline. The November Open Enrollment cohort is our test-drive option. Place one or two rising leaders in a cross-industry peer cohort and see the methodology in action. Learn about the program and enrollment details.
Interested in the new Roundtable Report on High Potential Leaders? Our third annual research report synthesizes everything we’re seeing in shaping the engagement, development and productivity of your best and brightest employee group. Sign up to receive the full report and for our launch webinar on November 4.
Ready to talk about your full leadership strategy? If you want to explore how this framework could reshape your group or team coaching initiatives, let’s connect. Book a meeting here.
The reality is: better leaders aren’t born from better content. They’re built through better systems including measurement, clarity, and the kind of accountability that only peers can provide.
