What Makes Leadership Development Work? A Conversation with David Mason and Clive Martlew
- Taylor Clarke
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
At a recent Taylor Clarke "Let's Talk" session, David Mason and Clive Martlew hosted an engaging and thought-provoking conversation on what really drives effective leadership development. Rather than relying on theoretical frameworks alone, the discussion surfaced practical insights and real-world lessons gathered from years of experience designing and delivering leadership programmes. Here are the key takeaways.
Defining the Landscape: Leader vs Leadership Development
David and Clive began by distinguishing between "leader development" and "leadership development". The former focuses on individuals and often arises from a talent management model—developing specific people with leadership potential. The latter, in contrast, looks at the collective capacity of a team, organisation, or system to exercise leadership. Leadership development, they argued, should focus on enabling a shared ethos and fostering collaboration across an entire system.
Four Factors for Success
The heart of the conversation explored four clusters of factors that increase the likelihood of success in leadership development initiatives.
1. Alignment
Clive shared that alignment is key, and it plays out in three distinct ways:
Strategic alignment: Leadership development must connect directly to the organisation's goals and challenges.
Executive alignment: The programme should be supported not just by the chief executive but by the entire senior team.
Expectation alignment: There must be clarity around the purpose, timelines, and behavioural outcomes of the programme—both from leadership and participants.
Without this alignment, organisations risk investing in development that lacks direction or staying power.
2. Right People, Right Time
David and Clive emphasised the importance of targeting "strategically placed" individuals—those who operate between strategic vision and operational delivery. Readiness for development, both personal and environmental, was seen as essential. Participants need to know why they are there, and the environment they return to must be ready to support their development.
3. Thoughtful Design
The conversation challenged the common overemphasis on content and theoretical models. Instead, Clive advocated for:
Coherence and shared language: Programmes should have a consistent narrative that can be embedded and reinforced over time.
Real work application: Programmes should be experiential, reflective, and socially rooted, not overly academic.
Creating FOMO: Programmes should be designed to generate a sense of "fear of missing out" that drives engagement and perceived value.
4. Embedding and Sustaining Learning
Many programmes fall short by neglecting what happens after the workshops end. David and Clive stressed the importance of:
Pre-programme alignment with HR and performance systems
Post-programme follow-ups such as coaching, booster sessions, and communities of practice
Line manager engagement and peer reinforcement
Final Reflections
When asked to distill the essence of a great leadership programme, Clive highlighted a few core elements:
Strong alignment with strategy and executive agenda
Carefully chosen participants ready for development
Reflective, experiential design sustained over time
Supportive organisational context
David echoed this, emphasising that context is often more important than content: great programmes are those that feel right for the organisation at that moment in time.
As the conversation opened to the audience, participants were invited to share their own insights and experiences. One message rang clear: leadership development is not about perfect design, but about thoughtful intent, strategic alignment, and creating the right conditions for growth.
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