Pretty much everything about leadership training is wrong.

Nearly a decade ago, Harvard scholars examined why most leadership development programmes fail.

When I look out at the leadership landscape, I can see few people picked up on it.

Weekend retreats.

The odd seminar here and there.

Summer intensives.

The best thing about all of these are the chicken goujons and halloumi at lunchtime.

But none of them are as effective as thinking about professional learning a bit differently, taking our cues from what isn’t working already.

So what do the researchers say?

First of all, the training is generic. Trainers put stuff in. And, if you’re lucky, the might check to see what comes out.

Second of all, the systems set up in school create barriers that everyone underestimates.

Thirdly, leadership training often happens at ‘events’. You’re never going to become a great leader by learning everything over one or two days, no matter how enjoyable that might feel. Why?

Finally, the individual learns how to improve their leadership nous, but the rest of their team does not.

The best training takes place as a team, but even if you can’t afford to bring a whole team on board, leadership development needs to be about relationships above all else.

We designed our whole programme around the research on relational leadership. So you learn how to use creative conflict to your benefit. You learn how to negotiate your way out of challenging situations. You pick up the structures that help others understand your ideas better.