14 impactful leadership training topics for effective leaders

What is leadership training?

Leadership training is a structured learning process designed to develop and refine the skills necessary for effective leadership. Leadership training can come in formats ranging from bespoke workshops and training sessions focusing on a single skill all the way through to mentorship programs and ongoing courses.

But what does it look like in practice? Where you’re looking at a single 2-hour training session or a complete leadership development program, leadership training will broadly follow this general structure:

• introducing the training topic, setting goals and expected outcomes
  • in many learning and development programs, participants will work on a combination of personal goals (e.g. “I want to better understand my leadership style”, or “I’d like to feel less stressed”) and broader training goals (e.g. “after the training, participants will be able to demonstrate they understand how to coach their team and deliver performance reviews in line with our company policies”).
• presentation of training materials, often with a combination of theory, visual presentations, case studies, and real-world examples. Most often, this is presented by a subject matter expert or skilled trainer or facilitator.
• group discussions on the training topic, allowing participants to share their thoughts and engage with the material more deeply. These discussions often follow a 1-2-4 all structure, giving participants the opportunity to reflect individually before sharing with the wider group.
• practical instruction and experiential learning activities relating to the training topic where participants get to use the training topic skill in action. Often, an expert trainer will demonstrate, give feedback and encourage participants to participate in real-time.
• personal and group reflection where participants reflect on what they’ve learned and how they might apply it in practice. This is a key part of any training program, ensuring that learnings stick by way of reflection and integration.
• Ongoing and continuous learning, where participants are encouraged to use their newly developed leadership skills and techniques, do further reading and learning while reflecting on their development.
• Assessment. This can be a strong pass/fail style assessment at the end of a single training session, or an ongoing mentorship where a mentor will continually give feedback and assess how leadership development is progressing.

Depending on the format of leadership development, all of these things can happen in a single training session or they might be repeated throughout a longer leadership development program.

Whichever way you go, expect to explore a topic relating to leadership skills, give participants an opportunity to discuss and practice before assessing their abilities and encouraging them to proceed with real-life applications of those skills.

Leadership training can include a wide range of topics, many of which we’ve collected below. These include everything from communication, decision-making and emotional intelligence to conflict resolution and strategic thinking.

It’s not an entirely exhaustive list, but it should give you plenty of ideas for topics you can bring to your training programs when you want to boost team performance, help people step into leadership roles or otherwise build a productive work environment.

Top leadership training topics to transform your leaders

In this section, we’ll explore the top leadership training topics you’ll want to consider bringing to your team. We’ve curated this list by researching many of the best leadership development programs in the market and by listening to facilitators and trainers in the space. Whether you’re running an internal program for developing current and future leaders or looking for a one-off training topic that will have lasting business impact, you’ll find something useful here.

Where applicable, we’ve also included relevant leadership development activities that you can use in your own training sessions. You’ll also find some workshop templates that you might wish to use as the basis of your program.

Conflict Resolution

Conflict is an inevitable aspect of bringing people together to work on a shared project. The danger for any team is letting that conflict escalate or go untended. The key for adept leaders is to understand how to manage and resolve disputes effectively, turning those ALL CAPS conflicts into moments of learning and growth.

Training in conflict resolution equips leaders with the ability to identify underlying causes of disagreements, communicate transparently, and mediate disputes with fairness and confidence.

Typically, conflict resolution training will combine a group discussion, an exploration of emotional awareness and empathic skills while also developing a toolkit of strategies — such as active listening, reframing, and negotiation. Expect to incorporate problem analysis strategies like What, So What, Now What? to enable better navigation of future conflicts and give plenty of opportunity for reflection.

Role-playing exercises and live examples of conflict resolution are especially effective in this kind of training environment. Using an exercise like conflict responses is a great opportunity for leaders discuss prior conflict and understand how they might guide their team through better in the future.

One important note: if your group is in the middle of an active conflict that has triggered a need for training, I’d recommend using an external facilitator or third party to facilitate the training session. The neutrality of the trainer can be an essential part of helping this learning be accepted and integrated by the group.

Find some more you might bring to your training session in this collection of conflict management techniques.

Communication Skills

Effective communication is the cornerstone of everything we do when we collaborate with others. For leaders who sit at the nexus of everyone on their team, the need for good communication is even stronger.

Leaders must articulate ideas clearly, create space for safe, open dialogue, listen to their team, provide constructive feedback, and inspire their teams. On one hand, this can feel like a lot, but the truth is that improving a small number of core communication skills can have a profound effect on every interaction we have as leaders.

Communication training is extremely practical in nature, so expect to see lots of exploratory training activities and communication games where leaders practice communication, reflect on what happened and then incorporate learnings into their practice.

Activities like “silent meetings,” where communication occurs solely through writing, can highlight the importance of clarity while a simple pair activity like Team of Two can radically improve the important interpersonal relationships we have with those we work with.

Communication training for leaders tends to have a lot of overlap with other topics like feedback and group facilitation. Depending on the training needs identified, you might also create opportunities for practicing the delivery and reception of constructive feedback or have a section of key facilitation skills that might help them facilitate productive discussions with an emphasis on asking the right questions, listening deeply and being aware of group dynamics.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Emotional intelligence is a pivotal skill for leaders aiming to build robust relationships and cultivate a positive work environment. Leaders with high EQ can regulate their emotions, empathize with others, and make decisions that consider both logical analysis and emotional impact.

In a recent study, Karla De Luna found that school leaders would benefit from more training in social and emotional intelligence skills such as self-awareness and self management, and called for “the advancement of professional development programs aimed at enhancing social-emotional competencies”.

In this regard, emotional intelligence training should focus on developing self-awareness, recognizing emotional triggers, and managing stress effectively. Utilizing self-assessment tools allows leaders to gain deeper insights into their emotional responses and identify areas for growth. Interactive group discussions, where leaders share experiences of emotionally charged situations and their handling of them is also an integral part of these kinds of training sessions.

As noted in our blog post on emotional intelligence activities, EQ is a composite of many different sub-skills and focusing on a single one of these – such as self awareness or empathy – might be your chosen approach.

Whatever your focus, EQ training is arguably one of the most impactful skills you can teach your leaders. Not only does this allow them to navigate their own emotional landscape, but it means they can also impart further lessons to their team and create a safer, more supportive work environment.

See this self awareness workshop template for a practical example of how to improve self awareness and EQ with a group.

Coaching

Great leaders are also great coaches. Rather than simply directing their teams, they guide employees toward growth and success by fostering a culture of continuous development and open dialogue. Leaders who excel in coaching empower their team to take ownership of their learning and career progression rather than simply handing down instructions.

Leadership coaching training should teach managers how to ask powerful questions, provide constructive feedback, and create meaningful development plans for their teams. The GROW coaching model (Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward) is an excellent framework to structure coaching conversations. Training sessions should include real-time coaching practice, where leaders take turns coaching each other and receive feedback on their approach.

Most of the topics in this list are deeply interconnected. Leaders who master effective communication, emotional intelligence and facilitation tend to make better coaches. When working to develop coaching skills internally, be sure to identify the correct skills gaps to ensure you give your leaders everything they need to effectively coach their teams.

As with therapists benefiting from receiving their own therapy, one great approach is to give coaches their own coaching opportunities so they can continue to grow while also receiving valuable experience they can bring to their own practice.

Delegation

Delegation is an essential leadership skill that ensures work is distributed effectively while empowering team members to develop new skills. That said, many leaders struggle with delegation, either holding onto tasks too tightly or offloading responsibilities without clear guidance.

Leadership training in delegation typically addresses the soft and hard parts of delegation: engaging the emotional parts of us that can find it difficult to trust things can be done by others, as well as providing very practical frameworks for delegating tasks and organizing work. As such, you’ll find a combination of discussion, reflection and sharing learnings at the heart of this kind of training.

For example, a project management and delegation tool like RAACI can provide a framework leaders will use time and time again. Teaching leaders how to explore alignment and autonomy can also help them discuss the topic with their teams and delegate from a place of trust and shared understanding.

In my experience, delegation dovetails with many other leadership skills on this list and as such, it’s often a topic that comes up as a challenge when exploring everything from communication to coaching.

By practicing this skill and discussing common challenges, leaders can start to develop strategies for assigning tasks in a way that speaks to their own needs and those of the team, making the learning stick.

Facilitation

Effective facilitation is a crucial leadership skill that enables effective collaboration and makes everything we do as groups easier and more productive. Leaders who excel in facilitation can create an environment where diverse perspectives are welcomed, ideas are explored, and teams feel empowered to contribute.

While facilitation skills are most noticeably deployed when leading projects and designing workshops and meetings, anytime you work with others is an opportunity for facilitation skills to shine.

Leadership training in facilitation should cover techniques for designing effective processes (often in the form of an agenda), managing group dynamics, and keeping discussions focused and results-oriented.

Practical exercises where leaders will actively learn and practice core facilitation techniques are order of the day here. You’ll also find that being a part of a well-facilitated training session is a powerful first step: experiencing how facilitation can lead to better outcomes first hand can be incredibly instructive and inspiring.

See this collection of the best facilitation training courses if you want to get external guidance. Alternatively, explore this facilitation training template to see how you might teach core facilitation skills to your team.

Team Building

Strong teams don’t form by accident; they require intentional leadership and effort. Training in team building helps leaders understand group dynamics, build trust among team members, and create an inclusive work environment. A cohesive and high-performing team is built on mutual respect, clear communication, and shared goals.

Leadership training in team building should focus on learning methods that enable good collaboration, enhance psychological safety, and give leaders the skills needed to build team morale and navigate group dynamics.

Leaders undergoing this kind of training may explore various team development frameworks and provide opportunties to explore what makes effective teams, covering topics like alignment, cohesion and working styles too.

Often, this training can look like learning a collection of methods and team building activities that leaders can deploy with their own teams. These can include everything from techniques to create team rituals, such as weekly recognition meetings or collaborative brainstorming sessions, which help establish a culture of trust and cooperation.

Leaders can also expect to understand their role in team dynamics, perhaps discussing what it means to be in a position of power and how to navigate this while effectively coaching and supporting their teams. High-functioning teams perform better when they feel connected and valued, making team-building training an essential part of leadership development.

Feedback

Delivering and receiving feedback is a crucial aspect of leadership. Effective leaders create a culture where feedback is constructive, specific, and geared toward growth. Feedback should not only focus on addressing performance issues but also reinforce positive behaviors and recognize achievements.

Training in this area might focus on models like the SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) feedback framework or other proven feedback techniques which help leaders provide clear and actionable feedback to their team.

In addition to giving feedback, leaders should also be trained on how to solicit feedback from their teams. Creating an open feedback loop allows for continuous improvement and strengthens trust within the organization. Training should encourage leaders to ask reflective questions like, “How can I better support your success?” and “What feedback do you have for me as your leader?” This ensures that feedback is a two-way street and that employees feel their voices are heard.

They might even learn a technique like principles of effective feedback, which will enable them to work with their team to set expectations and agreements for how feedback should be handled.

Explore this complete feedback workshop agenda for an example of how to practically instruct leaders in giving and receiving better feedback.

Decision Making

Leaders are constantly faced with decisions that impact their teams and organizations. Decision-making training should equip leaders with tools for assessing risks, analyzing data, and making informed choices under pressure. The ability to make sound decisions, especially in high-stakes situations, is a defining trait of great leaders.

Training should introduce leaders to structured decision-making techniques such as the Eisenhower Matrix for prioritization, SWOT analysis for evaluating options, and the OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) for agile decision-making. By understanding these frameworks, leaders can develop a systematic approach to making choices that align with organizational goals.

Scenario-based exercises are a highly effective way to train leaders in decision-making. Presenting leaders with complex business dilemmas and guiding them through the decision-making process in real-time helps them build confidence and critical thinking skills. Training should also address cognitive biases that can cloud judgment, such as confirmation bias or the sunk cost fallacy, and provide strategies for overcoming them.

The softer, human part of decision making is also something you should expect to touch on. Making good decisions with many stakeholders and strong opinions is hard, and can sometimes weigh on your leaders. Open dialogue and group discussion is a powerful part of what makes this kind of training work and truly help your leaders grow.

Encourage leaders to reflect on past decisions — successes and mistakes — to help develop resilience and learn how to make decisions in less than ideal circumstances as well as those in which they have complete control.

Change management

Change of some form is inevitable in any organization, and leaders play a key role in guiding their teams through transitions. Whether it’s a company restructuring, the adoption of new technology, or shifts in market demands, leaders must be equipped to navigate uncertainty and foster resilience among their employees.

Training in change management should focus on frameworks such as the ADKAR model (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement), which outlines the key stages of successful change adoption. Leaders should learn strategies for effectively communicating change, addressing resistance, and maintaining team morale during periods of uncertainty.

One effective training exercise is the “change simulation,” where leaders work through a real-life scenario that requires them to implement and manage organizational change.

Case studies of successful and unsuccessful change initiatives can provide valuable lessons on what works and what doesn’t when leading through change. Leaders should also be encouraged to reflect on their own experiences with change and identify areas where they can improve their ability to guide teams through transitions with confidence and clarity.

Leadership styles

There is no one-size-fits-all leadership approach, and great leaders often adapt their style to different situations too. Understanding various leadership styles helps leaders become more flexible and responsive to the needs of their teams while also figuring out what’s expected of them and how best to service their own needs too.

In my experience, it can be painful or unproductive for leaders to try working in a style that doesn’t match their values or personality, and a big part of working authentically and sustainably is figuring this out.

Training in leadership styles will likely explore models such as transformational leadership, servant leadership, and situational leadership.

As noted by leadership expert James MacGregor Burns as referenced in this paper, working on something like transformational or servant leadership can help “leaders and followers make each other advance to a higher level of moral and motivation.”

By understanding the strengths and challenges of each style, leaders can develop greater flexibility in their approach and see how they might best leverage their skills and style.

Self-assessment tools that help leaders identify their natural style and activities like Your Leadership Coat of Arms can also help leaders think about their approach and articulate how they want to show up as a leader. Combining this theory alongside group discussion on when to apply different leadership methods can make this training particularly valuable and engaging.

Time management

Effective time management is essential for leaders to fulfill their responsibilities, maximize productivity, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Leaders who manage their time well can focus on high-impact activities, delegate effectively, and avoid burnout, setting a strong example for their teams.

Leadership training in time management should introduce strategies such as time-blocking, prioritization frameworks, and goal-setting techniques. One widely used approach is the Impact and Effort Matrix, which helps leaders categorize tasks based on urgency and importance. One valuable concept is the Pareto Principle, which suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of efforts, guiding leaders to focus on tasks that yield the most significant outcomes.

Training should also address common time management challenges, such as handling interruptions, overcoming procrastination, and managing competing priorities. Leaders should be encouraged to assess their current time management habits and identify areas for improvement. Interactive exercises, such as time-audit activities and boundary setting activities, can help leaders develop more effective and sustainable habits.

Strategic thinking

Strategic thinking is an essential skill for leaders who want to align their teams with the organization’s long-term vision and goals. Leaders who think strategically can anticipate future challenges, evaluate different courses of action, and make informed decisions that drive success. Developing this skill enables leaders to transition from managing daily tasks to shaping the direction of their teams and organizations.

Leadership training in strategic thinking will typically focus on developing foresight, critical analysis, and decision-making skills. One effective approach is to introduce frameworks such as SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats), or 3 Action Steps, which helps leaders evaluate their options and prepare for multiple possible futures.

In my experience, the best strategic thinking training will likely incorporate simulations or examples where groups will approach a problem or challenge with a strategic mindset. Through a combination of instruction, trial and error and success, leaders can gain practical experience and reflect on what made the project work on a strategic level. Case studies and examples are also very powerful here. Seeing real world success and then going backwards to understand how it was achieved can make things really click.

Problem solving

Leaders are constantly faced with complex challenges that require creative problem-solving. The ability to identify root causes, think critically, and develop innovative solutions is crucial for driving organizational success.

Training in this area should introduce structured methods such as root cause analysis (perhaps using the 5 Whys method) and lateral thinking techniques to find creative and effective solutions. Leaders might also be trained in specific frameworks like design thinking, which encourages iterative problem-solving and user-centric solutions.

Interactive problem-solving exercises are essential for reinforcing these skills. One effective approach is to present leaders with real-world business problems and have them collaborate on solutions in a timed setting. Encouraging reflection on past problem-solving successes and failures can also help leaders refine their approach and get a sense of what truly works when it comes to aligning teams around a shared goal.

In a continuous learning environment, setting up a peer group where leaders can discuss problems, solutions and impact over longer periods of time can be especially effective. Mastermind groups and committees can be a great setup you might use between shorter training workshops.

Why is Leadership training important?

There’s an old saying about whether good leaders are made or born. In my experience, it’s a little of both.

Good leaders tend to gravitate towards leadership because of skills or competencies they’ve developed from birth. That said, these skills alone are rarely enough to help leaders work at their best in a sustainable way.

I’ve seen a lot of leaders get burnt out or find that while they’re great at rallying a team behind a project, they’re not great at navigating conflict or helping everyone on their team feel supported.

Leadership training is that secret sauce that can nurture already great leaders into being better and happier in their work, while also helping future leaders emerge and be able to step into leadership roles with confidence.

Remember that the overall success of your organization is driven by your leaders. They help shape company culture, push teams to better performance, and influence the engagement of your entire team.

Without proper training, managers may struggle with key responsibilities leading to decreased productivity and lower team morale. Leadership training is a safe, supportive container that helps individuals develop the critical skills needed to navigate workplace challenges and make informed decisions.

In this report, nearly one-third of workers cite a lack of career advancement as the main factor influencing their decision to change employers. Giving folks scope to advance and grow is a key part of retaining these people. What’s more, finding and retaining good leaders is hard! Investing in training your people can ensure your company keeps these vital pillars who regularly hold up your company and enable strong team performance.

What next for leadership training?

Developing strong leadership skills requires ongoing learning and practice. By focusing on these essential training topics, organizations can empower their leaders to navigate challenges, drive business success, and lead with empathy.

Effective leadership training programs not only improve individual performance but they can also creates a ripple effect throughout the organization, promoting a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous growth.

So what’s next?

• To make leadership training truly impactful, organizations should start with a leadership skills audit or training needs assessment to identify gaps and begin to explore how to fill them.

• Choosing suitable training activities can ensure your program is dynamic and engaging for all your participants. See our collection of training games for effective activities you can easily add to your programs, whether you’re breaking the ice or seeking to engage team members in active learning.
• For exercises specifically designed for leadership training courses and workshop, this collection of leadership development activities will help you find something that suits your chosen leadership topics.
• When it comes to designing your session, our guide on planning an effective training session agenda will help you go from idea to a completed plan.
• For facilitation best practices and practical advice, see our post on how to run an impactful leadership workshop for more solid takeaways that will help inform your training design.

James Smart Head of Content

James Smart is Head of Content at SessionLab. He’s also a creative facilitator who has run workshops and designed courses for establishments like the National Centre for Writing, UK. He especially enjoys working with young people and empowering others in their creative practice.