More Organizations are Blending Internal Development with Public Learning Opportunities
If an organization wants to invest in leadership development, the path is usually pretty clear. Launch an internal program. Bring in a partner for a larger initiative. Build cohorts and roll outs, and document impact. In fact, we spend much of our time helping organizations do exactly that. But over the past few years, we've noticed something else happening.
HR and L&D teams are leaning more heavily on internally built resources. They're creating manager toolkits, facilitating leadership discussions, building mentoring programs, and encouraging leaders to take a more active role in their own development. There is a strong do-it-yourself mindset right now, and in many ways, that's a healthy evolution.
The challenge is that leadership needs don't always show up in a way that's easy to plan for.
A manager gets promoted unexpectedly. A team needs help working through conflict. A high-potential employee is ready for more responsibility. Three supervisors could benefit from strengthening their coaching skills.
None of those situations necessarily call for a new internal program. They also don't require a large organizational initiative. They're simply opportunities to help people grow.
Development Doesn't Always Need a Cohort
One of the assumptions that has shaped leadership development for years is that you need a full group before you can take action. Many organizations are moving away from that thinking.
They're looking for ways to support the right number of people instead of waiting for the right number of participants. Sometimes that's one person. Sometimes it's a small team.
The goal isn't to create another program to manage. It's to make development easier to access when the need is there.
Fresh Perspectives Have Value
Internal learning creates alignment. That's one of its greatest strengths. But there is also value in stepping outside your own organization for a few hours.
Learning alongside professionals from different companies and industries exposes people to new ideas and different ways of solving familiar challenges. Participants often come back with practical insights that spark conversations long after the workshop is over. It's difficult to recreate that dynamic when everyone in the room shares the same culture and experiences.
Growth Shouldn't Bring Business to a Stop
Anyone responsible for operations understands the balancing act. You want to invest in people, but you also have customers to serve, projects to complete, and teams to support.
Flexible learning opportunities make that balancing act a little easier. Instead of taking an entire group offline, organizations can stagger participation and develop people over time.
That may not sound revolutionary, but for many HR teams, it removes one of the biggest barriers to saying yes.
Supporting the DIY Movement
One of the more interesting shifts we're seeing is that HR teams are asking, "What can we do ourselves?"
They're building internal capability instead of outsourcing. They're leading discussions, creating resources, and taking ownership of leadership development in new ways.
Public Workshops fit naturally into that approach. They don't replace internal efforts. They extend them.
An organization might facilitate its own manager meetings and use a Public Workshop to deepen a specific skill. A company might have a robust leadership strategy but use open enrollment opportunities to support a newly promoted leader who can't wait for the next cohort.
It's less of an either-or decision and more of a practical blend of resources.
Building a More Flexible Leadership Strategy
The organizations that seem to get the most from their development investments don't rely on a single solution.
They build internally, they invest in larger initiatives when broader change is needed, and they look for focused opportunities that help leaders continue growing between those bigger moments. Each approach has a role to play.
Public Workshops happen to fit into that middle space. They make it possible to support a few people, minimize disruption, learn from others, and build skills that can be applied right away.
For many organizations, that's becoming an important part of the overall strategy.
Not because it's easier. Because it's practical.
Looking for a Practical Next Step?
If this approach resonates, a Public Workshop can be a simple way to put it into practice. Our upcoming Lead OnPoint! Public Workshop gives leaders the opportunity to build practical leadership skills, receive personalized feedback through the LPI® 360, and learn alongside peers from other organizations.
Whether you're supporting a newly promoted manager, investing in a high-potential employee, or helping an experienced leader sharpen their approach, it offers a focused way to keep leadership development moving.
Learn more about the upcoming Lead OnPoint! Public Workshop and reserve your spot.
