Can you really tell If leaders are changing? Why the future of leadership development depends on measuring behaviour, not just attendance

MDA Insights

In this episode of MDA Insights, we’re joined by Andrew Larkin, leadership development expert at CIPD, whose career spans coaching, facilitation, and consultancy across change, resilience, and people management.

With Andrew, we tackle a vital question for L&D and HR professionals:
Can you really tell if leaders are changing—or are we just ticking boxes?

Here’s what we dive into:

• Is leadership truly evolving, or is it the environment around it that’s shifting?
• How today’s leaders must respond to more connected, less compliant teams.
• The one skill every leader must develop—and how to know if they really have.
• Why traditional metrics like attendance and surveys just don’t cut it anymore.
• Can we rely on 360s and self-assessments—or are they just feel-good snapshots?
• Measuring the gap between learning about leadership and becoming a leader.
• Can behaviour really change? And how can L&D measure that change over time?
• The science (and art) of measuring soft skills like empathy and adaptability.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone serious about building future-fit leadership—grounded in evidence, not assumptions.

Join your hosts Paul Hewett and Oz Hussein for another thought-provoking conversation filled with practical insights, sharp perspectives, and a touch of wit.

🎧 Listen now—because leadership development that can’t be measured, can’t be trusted.

Hosted by the team at MDA Training, MDA Insights is your go-to podcast for cutting-edge conversations on leadership, learning, and the future of work. Hit play now.

Hosted by the talented team at MDA Training, this podcast is dedicated to helping professionals enhance their skills and reach their full potential. From early career trends to game-based learning and everything in between, MDA Insights has got you covered. – hit play now!