The Great Training Robbery:
Why Some Companies Expect (and Get) Less from Leadership Training?

Companies invest billions of dollars in training every year, and rightfully so.  The right training is essential in developing employee knowledge and skills in today’s fast-moving business environment.  Ideally, training gives your company a competitive edge.

When companies invest in employee training — whether it’s a mechanic, a software designer, a trainer, or a leader — the goal is performance change — to make them a more competent, skilled and effective mechanic, software designer, trainer, or leader.

With “hard skills,” it seems pretty easy to tell whether or not the training was a good investment.  The mechanic now works on more types of vehicles, or does more difficult repairs, so he’s more valuable.  The software designer learns a new software language, gets a new certification, or begins running the AGILE scrums, so he’s more valuable.  The trainer’s surveys improve, so she’s more valuable.

Meet those criteria, the training “worked.”

But, we invest in a leadership training program and HOPE our employee gets one or two “nuggets” they’ll use to be a more effective leader.

Sometimes they do; sometimes they don’t. 

Does that mean leadership (and other soft skills) training is a bad investment or ineffective? 

No, it doesn’t. 

It’s because most people expect training to produce results it’s not designed to produce.

Training alone does not produce performance change;
training transfers concepts, develops skills, and instills belief. 

Most training programs begin and end, at the training room door.  Inside the room, participants learn concepts, are introduced to the associated skills, and develop the belief they can do this “thing” they’re being trained on.  Outside the room, they’re usually on their own with little trainer follow-up.

Which is not surprising.  The trainer is usually training the next group, or they’re back at their regular (i.e. non-training) job trying to catch up on the backlog of work which has developed while they were out delivering training.

So, why does “hard skills” training seem to produce performance change, while “soft skills” training doesn’t?

The answer is found in the Performance Change Equation. 

The Performance Change Equation:  EC + BC = PC

Effective training follows the Performance Change Equation: 

EC + BC = PC

Performance Change (PC)—measurable and sustained improvements in work-related outcomes, behaviors, or productivity results from these two critical components:

•  Emotional Change (EC): The process of transforming an individual’s emotional states, responses, or patterns, including shifts in mindset, beliefs, self-perception, and emotional regulation. EC enables participants to see themselves as a master mechanic, an AGILE scrum leader, an engaging trainer, or an effective leader.
•  Behavioral Change (BC): The process of modifying, adopting, or eliminating specific actions or habits.  BC turns learned skills into consistent practices.

Intentionally or not, hard skills training typically follows the performance change equation more effectively; soft skills training - not so much.

Why “Hard Skills” Training Works

Hard skills training — like technical or process-oriented programs — tends to follow a more consistent path to PC.

1. In the Training Room: Concepts are introduced, and skills are practiced through hands-on activities, ensuring comprehension and initial familiarity — EC starts.
2. In the Workplace: Learned skills are reinforced through repetition, regular coaching, consistent accountability, and real-world application. For example, the mechanic learns a new diagnostic tool, gets on-the-job support and coaching from a master mechanic.  Over time, these “new” skills become habits — the BC.
3. Outcome: Sustaining and reinforcing BC leads to permanent EC resulting in long-term PC, such as increased efficiency or fewer errors, measurable through KPIs like project completion rates.

A 2022 study by the Association for Talent Development found that organizations with structured follow-up for technical training saw a 65% improvement in skill application (ATD: Effective Training Follow-Up). This disciplined approach ensures hard skills stick, delivering tangible results.

The Robbery: Why Soft Skills Training Fails

Soft skills training—focused on leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence—appears to follow a similar process but doesn’t.  As a result, it often fails to deliver long-term Performance Change. Here’s why:

1. In the Training Room: Concepts like active listening or strategic thinking are introduced, and skills may be practiced through role-plays or discussions. Participants leave motivated, inspired, and “pumped up” to apply what they’ve learned — EC starts.
2. In the Workplace: The process breaks down. Unlike hard skills, there’s no “master mechanic” practicing these soft skills daily to provide coaching. Reinforcement, regular coaching, and accountability are minimal or absent. Participants are left on their own, and internal resistance—rooted in unchanged mindsets or lack of practice—takes over.  Very little BC happens and EC fades.
3. Outcome: Without EC and BC, skills fade, and performance remains unchanged. A 2019 McKinsey study found that 70% of change initiatives, including soft skills training, fail due to insufficient focus on mindset and sustained practice (McKinsey: The Psychology of Change Management).

The Great Training Robbery
is due to lack of follow-through.

Participants forget up to 70% of new information within 24 hours without reinforcement, according to Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve (Growth Engineering: Forgetting Curve). For SMEs, this means wasted resources and a succession pipeline filled with leaders unprepared for strategic roles.

The Role of Emotional Change (EC)

EC is the foundation of lasting leadership development. Without a shift in mindset, beliefs, and self-perception, high-potential employees resist adopting new behaviors. For example, a manager trained for a C-suite role may learn strategic planning but revert to tactical habits if they don’t see themselves as a visionary leader. This internal resistance is a silent thief, undermining training outcomes.

•  Why It’s Critical: A 2021 Harvard Business Review article noted that self-efficacy—the belief in one’s ability to succeed—is a key driver of leadership performance (HBR: The Power of Self-Efficacy). Without EC, leaders lack the confidence to embrace new roles.
•  Impact on Succession: If your high-potential employees don’t internalize their strategic leadership identity, they won’t be ready to fill critical roles, leaving your succession plan and company at risk.

The Role of Behavioral Change (BC)

BC turns soft skills into habits through consistent practice and reinforcement. However, soft skills like emotional intelligence or conflict resolution are harder to coach than technical skills, as they lack clear, daily applications and require ongoing feedback.

•  Why It’s Challenging:

1. There’s rarely regular reinforcement of these soft skills, nor is there a coach modeling these behaviors daily.  Sometimes it’s because there are limited opportunities to practice.  (After all, if one of our managers is handling conflicts daily, maybe they shouldn’t be managing?)
2. Follow-up and reinforcement are often assigned to well-intentioned leaders who don’t have the bandwidth, or the coaching skills, needed to effectively reinforce these behaviors long-term.  A 2020 LinkedIn Learning report found that 59% of employees say lack of follow-up is the biggest barrier to applying soft skills (LinkedIn Learning: Workplace Learning Report).

•  Impact on Succession: Without BC, leaders fail to consistently apply skills, their EC doesn’t change, resulting in no PC and a weakened leadership pipeline.

Reclaiming the Value: Solutions for HR Professionals

To stop the Great Training Robbery and build a succession-ready leadership pipeline, HR professionals must design soft skills training that drives EC and BC, leading to PC. Here are actionable strategies:

1. Prioritize Emotional Change (EC):
•  Strategy: Incorporate mindset-focused exercises, such as self-reflection or vision-setting, to help leaders internalize their new identity. Use assessments like 360-degree feedback to uncover limiting beliefs.
•  Example: In my Strategic Leader Transformation program, participants engage in 3 separate Dale Carnegie Immersion programs to kick-start the emotional change process.
•  Evidence: A 2022 MIT Sloan study found that mindset-focused training increased leadership effectiveness by 30% (MIT Sloan: Soft Skills Training ROI).

1. Ensure Behavioral Change (BC):

•  Strategy: Implement structured follow-up with regular coaching, peer accountability groups, and real-world application opportunities. Blend in-person workshops with virtual reinforcement.
•  Example: The Strategic Leader Transformation includes 12 private, monthly coaching sessions, 6 months of bi-weekly Certified High Performance and 6 months of bi-weekly E6 Leadership Coaching session to sustain and support skills like strategic communication and organizational leadership.
•  Evidence: A 2021 Skillsoft study showed that programs with ongoing coaching improved skill retention by 50% (Skillsoft: Training Impact).

1. Measure Performance Change (PC):

•  Strategy: Use KPIs like team engagement scores, project outcomes, or promotion rates to track PC. Combine with qualitative feedback to assess leadership impact.
•  Example: Participant Jake M. attributed $200,000 in extra revenue to communication skills learned in my program, a clear PC metric.
•  Evidence: A 2023 Psico-Smart study noted a 30% reduction in customer complaints after soft skills training with measurable follow-up (Psico-Smart: Measuring Soft Skills Impact).

1. Leverage Blended Learning:

•  Strategy: Combine interactive workshops with asynchronous content and small-group coaching to balance scalability and personalization, addressing the one-to-many training pitfall.
•  Example: My program integrates Dale Carnegie’s immersive workshops with virtual coaching, in-person mastermind sessions, and a private, online community to ensure tailored development for busy leaders.
•  Evidence: A 2020 ATD report found blended learning increased training effectiveness by 40% (ATD: Blended Learning Trends).

Conclusion: Stop the Robbery, Secure Your Future

When any training fails to deliver EC (Emotional Change) and BC (Behavior Change),  it will never achieve the PC (Performance Change) your company is looking for.  And, the “The Great Training Robbery” happens when Training / HR professionals settle for something “check-the-box” training that doesn’t deliver the results you need and leaves your succession plan with leaders unprepared for strategic roles.

By prioritizing mindset shifts, reinforcing behaviors, and measuring performance, you can reclaim the value of your leadership development investments. The Performance Change Equation—EC + BC = PC—is your blueprint for success.