Red Flags to Watch for When Choosing a Leadership Training Provider
- LMSPortals
- 6 hours ago
- 6 min read
Leadership training can be a game-changer—or a waste of time and money. The difference lies in the quality of the provider. In a crowded market full of flashy pitches and buzzwords, not all leadership training companies deliver on their promises.
Choosing the wrong one can leave your team disengaged, your budget drained, and your goals unmet.
Here are the red flags to watch for when selecting a leadership training provider.
1. They Can’t Define What “Leadership” Means
It sounds basic, but many providers can’t clearly articulate what leadership is—or what it looks like in action. You’ll hear vague statements like “empowering others” or “driving innovation,” but no concrete behaviors or outcomes.
If they can’t define leadership in practical terms, how will they train your people to improve it? You want a provider who can break down leadership into measurable competencies—things like decision-making under pressure, managing conflict, coaching direct reports, or leading through change.
Red Flag
Their definition of leadership is buzzword soup with no real substance.
2. One-Size-Fits-All Programs
Leadership challenges look different depending on the industry, organizational culture, level of seniority, and business objectives. Yet, some providers push the same generic content to every client.
If the training doesn’t reflect the realities your leaders face, it won’t stick. Worse, it may alienate your team if it feels irrelevant or condescending.
Ask providers how they tailor content. Do they take time to understand your company’s needs, goals, and leadership context? Do they adapt their programs for emerging leaders vs. senior execs?
Red Flag
They offer off-the-shelf programs with no customization, no diagnostics, and no discovery process.
3. Trainers Lack Real Leadership Experience
Plenty of trainers know the theory—but have never led a team, managed a P&L, or made tough calls under pressure. This gap shows in the content and delivery. Leaders can smell it.
Real-world leadership experience doesn’t mean every trainer needs to have been a CEO. But they should have some credible, hands-on experience managing people, projects, and challenges. That’s what gives their training authenticity and impact.
Red Flag
Trainers have impressive facilitation skills but zero leadership background.
4. No Focus on Behavior Change
Leadership training should drive behavior change—not just awareness. Too many programs focus on theory, self-assessments, or “feel-good” moments in the workshop but never help participants build real skills or habits.
Ask how the provider supports behavior change. Do they include tools for application, practice, reflection, and feedback? Is there reinforcement after the training? What accountability mechanisms are in place?
Red Flag
The training ends when the workshop ends. No follow-up. No skill practice. No change.
5. They Sell Outcomes They Can’t Measure
Everyone wants “increased engagement,” “stronger leadership,” or “higher performance.” But if a provider can’t show you how they’ll track impact, they’re selling feel-good vibes, not results.
You want a provider who can work with you to define success, track progress, and gather feedback—whether that’s through surveys, 360s, performance metrics, or other methods.
Red Flag
They promise transformation but can’t tell you how they’ll know it happened.
6. Overreliance on Personality Assessments
Personality tools like DiSC, MBTI, or StrengthsFinder can be useful—but they are not leadership training. Some providers lean too heavily on these tools, filling up hours with profiles and discussion while skipping actual skill development.
These tools should be a supplement, not the centerpiece. If the training never goes beyond “understanding your style,” you’ve got a problem.
Red Flag
The whole program revolves around one personality test and its four-quadrant framework.
7. Lack of Practical Application
Leadership isn’t learned through lectures. It’s learned through doing. Good training includes practical exercises, real-life scenarios, simulations, and coaching. If the program feels more like a seminar than a skills lab, it probably won’t lead to real change.
Look for signs the provider includes hands-on practice, feedback loops, role plays, and application to the participants’ day-to-day work.
Red Flag
Sessions are lecture-heavy, PowerPoint-driven, or full of vague discussions.
8. No Manager Involvement
If direct managers aren’t involved in the leadership development process, the odds of long-term behavior change drop dramatically. Managers need to reinforce new skills, give feedback, and support application.
A good provider will build in a role for managers—before, during, and after training.
Red Flag
The program treats leadership development as an isolated event with no support system.
9. They Avoid Tough Topics
Leadership is not all about inspiration and communication. It’s also about handling underperformance, managing layoffs, giving tough feedback, dealing with conflict, and making unpopular decisions.
If the training avoids the harder parts of leadership, it’s not preparing your people for reality. Ask if the content addresses these challenges directly and provides tools to navigate them.
Red Flag
The program only focuses on “positive” leadership topics and avoids anything messy or uncomfortable.
10. No Evidence of Past Impact
Any credible provider should be able to show testimonials, case studies, client lists, or data that back up their results. If all they offer is vague praise and no details, be skeptical.
Don’t just ask for references—ask for stories. What problem did the client face? What did the provider do? What changed afterward?
Red Flag
They can’t point to any measurable wins or satisfied clients with similar needs.
11. Training Is Not Aligned to Business Strategy
Leadership development isn’t about making people “better”—it’s about helping them lead in ways that drive business success. If a provider doesn’t ask about your strategy, goals, or key challenges, they’re not serious about helping you get results.
Training should align with your organization’s future direction—whether that’s leading through change, building a culture of accountability, improving cross-functional collaboration, or developing a talent pipeline.
Red Flag
They never ask about your business strategy or leadership challenges.
12. Too Much Focus on Motivation, Not Enough on Skills
A great training session might leave people feeling inspired—but if that’s all it does, the value is short-lived. Leadership is about capability, not just confidence.
Look for programs that go beyond motivation and help leaders build specific skills: strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, decision-making, coaching, influence, and execution.
Red Flag
The training feels more like a TED Talk than a workshop.
13. They Can’t Explain Their Methodology
A reputable provider should be able to clearly explain their approach. What’s the underlying framework? How do they sequence learning? How do they support transfer of learning to the job?
If they can’t walk you through the “how” and “why” behind the program design, they’re either winging it—or relying on trends rather than tested methods.
Red Flag
They pitch the program like a product without explaining how it actually works.
14. Overpromising on Speed
Leadership development takes time. Anyone who claims they can transform your leaders in a half-day session is selling snake oil. Quick hits can kick off learning—but lasting impact needs reinforcement and time to apply.
Beware of anyone who downplays the complexity of developing strong leadership or claims they can compress it all into a single event.
Red Flag
They promise dramatic change from a single workshop.
Final Thought: Choose Substance Over Hype
Choosing a leadership training provider is a high-stakes decision. You’re investing in the future of your people and your company. Don’t be swayed by charisma, flashy decks, or brand names alone. Dig deeper. Ask hard questions. Look for providers who value results over appearances and learning over theatrics.
Leadership is too important to leave to chance—or to the wrong trainer.
Need a checklist to evaluate providers? Ask yourself:
Do they understand your business context?
Do they focus on measurable behavior change?
Do their trainers have real-world credibility?
Is their content practical and relevant?
Can they show evidence of results?
If the answer to any of these is “no,” keep looking.
About LMS Portals
At LMS Portals, we provide our clients and partners with a mobile-responsive, SaaS-based, multi-tenant learning management system that allows you to launch a dedicated training environment (a portal) for each of your unique audiences.
The system includes built-in, SCORM-compliant rapid course development software that provides a drag and drop engine to enable most anyone to build engaging courses quickly and easily.
We also offer a complete library of ready-made courses, covering most every aspect of corporate training and employee development.
If you choose to, you can create Learning Paths to deliver courses in a logical progression and add structure to your training program. The system also supports Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) and provides tools for social learning.
Together, these features make LMS Portals the ideal SaaS-based eLearning platform for our clients and our Reseller partners.
Contact us today to get started or visit our Partner Program pages
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