Leadership training, or leadership development, is defined as courses or training/educational programs whose purpose is to improve the performance of managers and personnel leaders within the organization.

The leadership training market has been one of the fastest-growing and evolving segments in the learning and development (L&D) industry over the past decade. There are numerous companies that sell leadership training products and services to supplement in-house L&D capabilities.

Leadership Training Topics and Audiences

According to Training Industry research, the most common leadership training topics (often called “soft skills”) offered globally include:

Training often includes courses and programs for first-line supervisors, middle managers and senior executives.

The Size of the Leadership Training Market

Global corporate training spending has been steadily increasing over the past several years, with a total spend of $370.3 billion in 2019. The corporate leadership training market is one of the only L&D markets that has experienced growth independent of economic trends year after year. Training Industry research estimates that in 2019, organizations around the world spent about $3.5 billion with leadership development solutions and program vendors.

For a more in-depth analysis of the leadership training market, click here to purchase the “State of the Leadership Training” report.