Though the goals of leadership training vary by program, typical goals include enhancing communication skills, increasing self-awareness, refining decision making and strategic planning skills, and gaining or improving mentoring and coaching skills. Goals of the 2016 High Potentials Leadership Program, which is part of the Harvard Business School’s executive education program, include being better prepared to receive and deliver feedback, lead effectively in the face of conflict, manage organizational politics and create opportunities for self-reflection.
Leadership training goals may also include learning how to follow as well as lead, developing critical thinking skills essential to decision making, and successfully managing both individual and organizational performance. Leadership training goals may also include improving financial management skills or human resource functions. However, recognized leadership trainers believe that an even more crucial training goal is to increase the leader’s understanding of how management of certain tasks and functions differ from the broader concept of leadership, which requires the ability to attract, inspire and retain strong team members.