Is Training Worth It? Why Leadership Development Boosts Your Bottom Line

You need leadership training — and your organization needs leadership training as well. I say that because I want to save your organization money, and I know how to do it — and I’m not sure you do. It would be my honor to have you prove me wrong, and you can do it by answering these four questions without looking anything up.

Ready?

1. What is your turnover rate and how does it compare to your industry average?

2. How does your productivity today compare to last year’s productivity?

3. What is your Mission Statement?

4. What is your number one weapon in your push to establish a culture of excellence?

If you were able to answer all four questions off the top of your head, read no further — you’re probably on top of the things that require a leader’s attention. If you struggled, please keep reading to learn why these four questions are so important.

Why Leadership Training Matters

People don’t leave their job — they leave their boss. A Gallup poll of over a million U.S. workers found that 75% of employees who voluntarily left their jobs did so because of their immediate supervisor, not because of the position itself.

Bad bosses show up in stunning numbers, usually because they focus more on chasing paperwork than understanding and developing their people. Leadership training must include relationship-building and team development. If it’s only task- or management-oriented, it will fail as a tool for improving an organization’s bottom line.

The Shocking Cost of Disengagement

Type “what percentage of employees feel engaged?” into any search engine and the answer comes back around 32%.It’s estimated that disengagement costs organizations between $450 and $550 billion a year.

That’s an enormous financial hit — all because workers don’t feel important or connected to the organization’s vision. And how many leaders are actively engaged each day to ensure employees are working to their potential?

Interestingly, a disengaged boss can have the same negative impact as a micromanager. Either way, if you’re not training your leaders to address productivity — and at 68% disengagement, you’re not — how much of that $550 billion is your organization losing?

Mission Statements Matter More Than You Think

How many people in your organization can state your mission statement? If the answer isn’t all of them, change it.

Your mission statement comes into play every single day when you hire, discipline, fire, and promote. If it doesn’t clearly communicate who you are and what you are trying to accomplish, it is costing you money.

There is no room for ambiguity or average in a mission statement. People won’t follow “average” — nothing about it stands out.People will follow a cause. And they will work harder — exponentially harder — when they believe in that cause.

Write a mission statement that reflects that.

The Number One Weapon for a Culture of Excellence

Your greatest weapon in building a culture of excellence is accountability.

Nobody enjoys telling someone they aren’t meeting expectations. But if you want above-average performance — or even basic organizational health — accountability is required.

And yet, avoidance is the number one strategy used by many bosses. This is a problem — and it harms your bottom line at the same rate as disengagement.

Lack of accountability is the number one problem in the workforce today. The second-place problem isn’t even close.

Accountability, when applied correctly, does more to enhance performance and profitability than nearly any other leadership skill.

So… Is Training Worth It?

Is leadership training worth it? Unequivocally — YES.

Your bottom line demands it. Your employees are hungry for it. And your culture cannot grow without it.

Just make sure you hire trainers who can help you answer those four questions — with confidence, clarity, and conviction.

If this message opened your eyes to the real cost of disengagement and lack of accountability, explore our microlearning tools inside the Learning Hub. Strengthen your leaders, elevate your culture, and improve your bottom line.