Leadership Development Cannot be a Sausage Machine
After the Covid 19 pandemic we have seen numerous banking institutions and telecom operators offering free access to learning platform focussing on short courses. The idea was noble and the goal was simple. Help people up-skill themselves.
These short courses mostly served as an introduction to more advanced fields of study, but they never really stuck. Many organisations approach training with a similar mindset:
- Buy a programme.
- Send employees.
- Expect change.
Unfortunately, it rarely works that way.
If organisations want to achieve meaningful behavioural change, they must first understand a critical factor:
Their culture.
At Leverage Leadership, we believe leadership development cannot be delivered as a standardised, mass-produced solution. People are not identical, teams are not identical, and organisations are certainly not identical.
That is why effective leadership development must start with a climate study.
Understanding the Organisational Environment
Culture shapes how people behave in the workplace.
It influences:
- Decision-making
- Communication styles
- Conflict resolution
- Risk-taking
- Accountability
Without understanding these dynamics, training programmes may unintentionally clash with existing organisational realities.
For example, a programme encouraging open feedback will struggle in a culture where employees fear speaking up. Similarly, leadership development focused on innovation may fail in environments where risk-taking is discouraged.
Understanding culture allows training to align with the real environment employees operate in.
The Climate Study
Before implementing development programmes, we conduct a climate study, which in itself is customised to suit your needs, and what you what to know about your company culture. This helps us to identify the factors influencing behaviour within the organisation.
This excercise includes exploring:
- Leadership structures
- Communication patterns
- Employee engagement
- Organisational priorities
This process reveals where leadership behaviours are supporting business goals and where they may be limiting growth.
The insights gained ensure the development journey begins with clarity rather than assumptions.
Adapting to the Organisation
Once the cultural landscape is understood, development programmes can be adapted to the organisation’s needs.
This may involve:
- Adjusting programme content
- Aligning learning to organisational strategy
- Focusing on specific behavioural shifts
- Addressing real operational challenges
Instead of forcing employees into a predefined model, the programme becomes relevant to their daily experiences.
This significantly increases engagement and learning impact.
Why the “Sausage Machine” Model Fails
Traditional training models often operate like a sausage machine. Employees are pushed through identical programmes with identical content and identical expectations.
The problem?
Behaviour does not change because the learning experience does not reflect reality. Employees quickly recognise when training is disconnected from their workplace environment.
When that happens, learning becomes theoretical rather than transformational. You lose value and time. When employees see that development programmes reflect their organisation’s culture and challenges, something powerful happens.
They begin to take ownership of the learning process.This is where the learner becomes the participant. An active role player in the learning and growth process.
Instead of viewing training as an obligation, they see it as a tool that supports their success. This shift significantly increases the likelihood of behavioural change.
Culture as the Foundation for Leadership
Leadership is not developed in isolation. It grows within the context of organisational culture.
By understanding culture first and adapting programmes accordingly, organisations create learning experiences that are:
- Relevant
- Practical
- Sustainable
Because if we truly want to change behaviour in organisations, we cannot be generic and we certainly cannot be a sausage machine.
Talk to us about how we align culture with leadership training and the benefits it can bring to your business.
