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5 Live Leadership Development Experiences

Cathie Leimbach • June 25, 2024

Since leadership is rooted in human interaction, live leadership development experiences are essential in building highly effective leaders. Let’s take a look at five live methods that can significantly benefit stressed and burned-out leaders by providing support and skill-building opportunities.


1. Coaching: Personalized coaching offers leaders a confidante to share and work through their struggles, helping them manage stress and improve their leadership capabilities.


2. Developmental Experiences and Exposure: Job shadowing and leading project teams provide hands-on experience, allowing leaders to build essential skills before stepping into formal leadership roles.


3. Training Programs: Comprehensive training lays a solid foundation for effective leadership, equipping leaders with the necessary tools and techniques to manage teams successfully.


4. Operational Knowledge: Understanding how work gets done is also crucial. Leaders need to grasp the intricacies of their organization’s processes to lead efficiently and make informed decisions.


5. Mentorship: Mentors who share their personal experiences offer valuable insights, enriching a leader’s development journey with practical wisdom and guidance.



A variety of live experiences builds leadership knowledge and competence, preparing leaders for real-world application and enhancing their overall effectiveness.

The Perils of a Bad Boss

By Cathie Leimbach • April 1, 2025
Bad bosses aren't just a nuisance – they're an epidemic. A staggering 70% of employees report that problematic managers are commonplace in today's workforce. This reality has serious consequences for both workers and companies alike. What drives employees to pack up their desks? Unethical behavior tops the list, with 62% of workers citing it as a reason to quit. Following closely behind are hypercritical managers (54%) and those who burden their teams with unrealistic expectations or excessive workloads (54%). While some managerial shortcomings are merely frustrating rather than deal-breakers, they still damage workplace morale. Disorganized bosses frustrate 33% of employees, micromanagers irritate 29%, and unapproachable or inflexible leadership styles bother 27%. Perhaps most concerning is the communication breakdown: 72% of employees wish they could openly discuss workplace concerns with their managers, but 59% fear retaliation if they speak up. How might these issues be affecting your organization? High turnover rates don't just disrupt workflow – they devastate your bottom line. Between recruitment costs, training expenses, lost productivity, and institutional knowledge walking out the door, each departed employee can cost between 50-200% of their annual salary.  Ready to understand what turnover is truly costing your company? Click Here for access to a free Cost of Turnover Calculator.

Achieving Commitment in Team Decisions

By Cathie Leimbach • March 25, 2025
When leaders make decisions or teams vote on changes, not everyone automatically supports them. However, getting everyone's commitment can be crucial for team or organizational success. Two key factors create real commitment: clarity and emotional buy-in. Clarity means removing all confusion about what's changing and why. Everyone needs to understand exactly what they're being asked to do. Emotional buy-in happens when people want to support the change rather than just following orders. To build both clarity and buy-in, talk openly with your whole team. Encourage questions about how changes will work and when things will happen. Listen to concerns instead of ignoring them. Remember that feelings—whether worry, resistance, or excitement—strongly affect how people respond. Don’t be surprised when change doesn’t happen. Use a team engagement process that helps leaders understand and increase each team member’s readiness.  Good leaders know they can't force real commitment. Instead, they build it by including team members in conversations about why and how to make changes work. This turns "their decision" into "our project," creating the team commitment needed for successful change.
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