Sustainable Effectiveness of a Transformational Leadership Development Program: An Exploratory Study (Revision 1 )

This article explores the impact of a transformational leadership development program on the lives of its participants after a one year interval. The authors address three fundamental questions: (1) What does a transformational leadership program transform? (2) How does the change process occur? (3) How are behavioral changes maintained over time? The authors present the results of an exploratory longitudinal outcome study of a leadership development program for senior executives. Individual changes are evaluated both quantitatively, through test-retest results of a 360-degree survey across 12 key leadership dimensions, and qualitatively, through semi-structured interviews with the participating executives. The authors found that for a cohort of 11 participants, executives’ individual ratings had improved in several aspects one year after the end of the program. Participants’ self-assessment scores were significantly higher on key dimensions such as Rewarding & Feedback and Life balance. Ratings by observers showed a significant improvement on Visioning and Team-building dimensions. The elements of the program consistently cited by participants retrospectively as contributing positively to the change process were: involvement in group coaching, realistic action plans, acting out or experimenting with new behaviors, and subsequent follow-up with a partner from the cohort.