How to choose leadership development tools — 7 criteria
Last updated 2026-08-07
Choose tools based on how much they actually change the leader’s behaviour in everyday life, not on breadth of courses. The seven criteria that matter in practice are: practice over reading, situations from your own industry, language, concrete feedback, documentation HR can use, privacy within the EU/EEA, and a price that scales when all leaders use it often.
The seven criteria
- Practice over reading: can the leader actually conduct the conversation, or only read about it?
- Relevance: do leaders recognise the situations from their own working day?
- Language and context: does it work in Norwegian, with Norwegian working life as the frame?
- Feedback: does the leader learn what specifically should be done differently next time?
- Documentation: can HR extract who trained on what, without manual work?
- Privacy: where is data stored, and is a data processing agreement in place?
- Scalability: does the pricing model tolerate all leaders using the tool often?
What types of alternatives exist?
| Category | Example providers | Fits when |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership programmes and courses | BI, AFF, local course providers | You want shared input and networking |
| E-learning libraries | LinkedIn Learning, Coursera | Breadth and low price matter most |
| Coaching | Internal or external coaches | Few leaders, high investment per person |
| AI-based conversation training | LeaderSkills | Many leaders need to practise often, and training must be documented |
How do you test before you buy?
- Choose three real situations from your own enterprise.
- Let 5–10 leaders run them in the tool.
- Ask afterwards: would you do anything differently in the next real conversation?
- Check what documentation HR actually receives.
- Calculate cost per leader per year at realistic usage.
What do most people get wrong?
They buy breadth. A library of a thousand courses looks safe, but low completion means no effect. A narrower tool used every week beats a broad tool used once a year.
Frequently asked questions
What does leadership development cost per leader?
Classroom programmes typically cost tens of thousands of kroner per leader, e-learning a few hundred, and digital training platforms somewhere in between. Always compare cost per leader per year at realistic usage.
How do you measure the effect of leadership development?
Combine three sources: completion data from the tool, employee survey at unit level, and operational figures such as sick leave and turnover over time.