traditional leadership development programs often fail to help leaders navigate emergent business challenges. Enter group-based leadership development that combines training with interaction.

Group-based leadership development is a structured program where a group of leaders or emerging leaders undergo training together over a period of time. This model includes collective learning, peer review, and real-time or even real-time application.

Unlike traditional leadership development programs, which often focus on individual learning through workshops and online courses, group-based programs create a learning community where participants learn from each other's experiences and knowledge. Placing the learning process in this relational context takes it beyond simple cognitive learning to a more integrated experiential form that combines knowledge with practice.

For example, I combine research with practical tools in my leadership development groups to help leaders effectively navigate their strategic organizational changes.

Related: 4 reasons why leadership training programs fail and how to make sure yours succeeds

What makes group-based learning effective?

Group-based learning is rooted in Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory. Social interaction enhances learning because humans are social creatures by nature. Therefore, we like to learn more from interactive multimedia methods than from passive ones that are absent FEEDBACK or immediate results.

Perspective taking and groupthink foster empathy and communication skills, while emotional resonance and dialogue deepen understanding for all involved.

The responsibility that is formed in the group encourages commitment and performance. Community-based learning, feedback, emotional support, and real-world application ignite individual and collective learning.

Key characteristics of group-based leadership development

Participants in the program benefit from peer learning and support where they can share experiences and solutions, enhancing understanding and retention of leadership concepts.

The structured curriculum is designed to cover various aspects of leadership, building on previous sessions to provide a comprehensive learning journey. Practical tools, measurements and models are provided to apply directly to the work environment.

Real-time feedback and consultation during breakout sessions help participants address specific workplace challenges, allowing for continuous learning, application and FEEDBACK to support their development.

Additionally, members gain access to community and networking opportunities, fostering a sense of identity and a stable support network for continued personal and professional growth.

Related: 8 steps to create an effective leadership development program

The five benefits of group-based leadership development

Group-based leadership development has a design and mechanism that offers several advantages over traditional models:

1. Improving engagement and motivation: Social interaction, collective learning, and opportunities for timely application of relevant knowledge and skills foster leader learning.

2. Deeper learning and retention: of the neuroscience of learning that occurs within social settings, given the inherent dialogue, modeling, and collaboration that occurs in such settings, helps students understand and retain complex content. Discussions and exchanges with other students also ignite empathy, enhancing understanding and memory.

4. More immediate application and real-world relevance: Group-based programs currently teach participants the necessary leadership skills. Learners can gain new knowledge and experiment with new skills within a low-risk environment before taking them back to the workplace. Cohorts allow new strategies to be tested, evaluated and revised before implementation in the real world.

5. Stronger development of leadership skills. Because of the real-world focus and reliance on social learning, group-based programs help participants rapidly develop their skills. The group model helps test student ideas within a community of leaders. This roots skills, strategies and practices in reality and clarifies their functionality and accessibility for implementation.

Related: Want to boost your company's growth? Improve your workforce skills. Here's how.

Creating group-based leadership development

Try the following tactics to create powerful team-based leadership development programs within your organization:

1. Curate different groups: Diversity within a group is critical to enriching the learning experience. Diverse viewpoints, educational backgrounds, ages, gender perspectives and more enhance learning.

2. Organize skilled facilitation: The facilitator is critical to maintaining group morale and ensuring productive interaction within the group. Facilitators must have skills in managing group dynamics, making participants feel comfortable discussing their feelings and ideas (promoting psychological safety) and guiding the conversation so that everyone's voice is heard.

3. Provide ongoing support and resources: Support should be available outside of group hours in the form of additional resources, training, and opportunities for one-on-one consultation. These features help people consolidate their learning and tackle specific problems as they arise.

4. Evaluate and adjust: Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the program by gathering feedback from participants and evaluating participant progress against measurable outcomes. Use this data to make necessary curriculum revisions, facilitation and support to optimize student outcomes.