The Motion Trap
Here's what motion looks like in leadership development:
Workshops: Managers attend but don't change how they run 1-on-1s.
Assessments: Teams complete them but behaviors stay the same.
Frameworks: Leaders read them but never apply them.
Metrics: You track completion rates instead of performance impact.
Motion is activity that feels productive but changes nothing. Six months later? Same performance issues. Same team dynamics. Same struggling leaders.
What Movement Looks Like: A Case Study
A director at a Series B SaaS company came to me after her 8 managers had been through three leadership programs in 18 months.
The Surface Data: Completion rate: 100%. Satisfaction scores: High.
The Reality: 1-on-1 duration was down, engagement scores were flat, and manager confidence in giving feedback had actually declined.
$63K spent. Managers got worse at leading.
The Pivot
Here is how we shifted from motion to movement:
Instead of... | We did this... |
Another feedback workshop | Each manager practiced one difficult conversation that week and got coaching. |
Reading about psychological safety | Managers diagnosed one trust gap and tested one intervention. |
Learning delegation models | Each manager delegated one responsibility they'd been hoarding. |
Three months later: 1-on-1s were longer, engagement was up 23 points, and confidence measurably improved. Same time. Opposite approach. Actual results.
The Three-Question Test
Ask these three questions about any program to see if you are buying motion:
If we stopped doing this tomorrow, would anything actually change?
Motion: "Managers wouldn't have the knowledge..."
Movement: "We'd see it in performance reviews and retention data."
What specific behavior are we measuring 30 days after completion?
Motion: "Completion rates and satisfaction scores."
Movement: "Frequency of feedback conversations and direct report satisfaction."
Can managers articulate what they did differently this week?
Motion: "They learned great frameworks."
Movement: "They applied the model in three conversations and can tell you what happened."
Why Organizations Default to Motion
Measurability: Completion rates look good in slide decks.
Safety: Motion feels less risky. If it doesn't work, you can blame the vendor.
Tradition: Motion is what everyone else is doing; the industry is built on it.
Accountability: Movement requires tracking behavioral change. That’s harder, and someone has to be responsible for the results.
The Movement Framework
Start with behavior, not knowledge. Don't ask what managers should know about feedback. Ask what conversation they're avoiding right now.
Make it immediately applicable. If they can't apply it this week, don't teach it.
Build in accountability. Motion programs end when the workshop ends. Movement programs include weekly application, peer accountability, and 30/60/90-day check-ins.
Measure what matters. Track feedback conversations per week, 1-on-1 quality, delegation incidents, and decision speed. Not completion rates.
The Real Cost of Motion
Financial: $1,252 per manager annually on training that changes nothing.
Opportunity: Teams struggle while managers are "in development."
Credibility: After the third failed program, managers stop believing development matters.
Talent: Your best people leave managers who don't improve.
Three Actions This Week
Audit your programs. Run the three-question test. If answers reveal motion, kill it or redesign it.
Pick one behavior. Better 1-on-1s. Faster decisions. More delegation. Build a 30-day sprint around it.
Share this with your leadership team. Ask: "Where are we creating motion? Where do we need movement?"
The Bottom Line
Your budget is limited. Your managers' time is limited. Your team's patience is limited. The question isn't whether you're doing leadership development—it's whether it's creating movement or just keeping everyone busy.
Work With Me
Leadership Workshops: Managers diagnose motion vs. movement in their teams and leave with behaviors, not just concepts.
Manager Activation Programs: A 90-day intensive with weekly application, peer accountability, and coaching.
Keynote Speaking: Teach your leadership team the difference—and what to do about it.
