April 2025 // Leadership Development

Leader development vs leadership development: What’s the difference, and why does it matter?

When we think of leadership, we often picture a single person (the leader). That image shapes how most organisations approach development. They  focus on individuals, their skills, and their ability to lead in isolation. But is that enough?

Now imagine a 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. You probably see more than just one standout leader. You see clear vision, alignment, a committed workforce, and a culture where leadership is a shared responsibility. That’s the essence of leadership development. It goes beyond individuals to focus on the process of leading across the entire organisation.

🔹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 = developing the individual.

🔹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 = developing the collective leadership capacity of the organisation.

The key isn’t choosing one over the other. It’s knowing when and how to invest in each. Organisations that don’t understand this distinction often pour resources into the wrong interventions and miss the bigger picture.

This topic is explored by Dr. Maria Loumpourdi in her book, 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣, including practical ways to design and implement both approaches effectively. 

If your organisation needs support designing or implementing effective leader/leadership development strategies, get in touch at 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼@𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻.𝗰𝗼𝗺.