Most companies recognize that investing in people drives performance. Yet many small and mid-sized organizations struggle to create training programs that deliver real performance gains. We suggest three key steps to create a structured approach to building competence while giving everyone clarity on their development journey. This systematic approach will provide visibility on the development journey for everyone and enable deliberate skills development that translate into performance gains.

Leadership comes in many forms, not just one ideal model. Rather than searching for universal leadership traits, it's more valuable to understand the different roles leaders play. In that sense, good leadership is situational - its effectiveness depends on the challenges at hand. One powerful framework identifies four key leadership roles: the Doer, the Mobilizer, the Architect, and the Strategist. Each role represents effective leadership in different contexts. The real skill lies in knowing which role to step into based on the situation, and ensuring your leadership team collectively covers these different capabilities.