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10 Best Leadership Development Programs to Grow Future Leaders in 2023

The Best Leadership Development Programs List

Here’s the list of the best leadership development program platforms for build-your-own or ready-made leadership-oriented online courses.

  1. 1. Qooper — Best for executing high potential leadership programs through mentoring, learning and inclusion
  2. 2. BetterUp — Best for a mobile-first leadership solution
  3. 3. LEADx — Best for coaching and micro-learning
  4. 4. LinkedIn Learning — Best for an on-demand leadership training library
  5. 5. Emeritus — Best for executive education and teaching the skills of the future
  6. 6. Kornferry.com — Best for measuring and benchmarking leadership skills
  7. 7. Franklincovey.com — Best for proven leadership development principles
  8. 8. Dalecarnegie.com — Best for a century of leadership training
  9. 9. Torch.io — Best for combining people and technology to deliver digital learning
  10. 10. Hone — Best for high-impact, live leadership courses

Leadership development is a $366 billion+ industry. Yet, Forbes reports that many leadership programs don’t work. Why? Businesses need a heavier focus on context, application, culture, and metrics. It’s a lot to handle—but there are online leadership development programs that speak to these needs.

The future of your organization depends on strong leadership. That's why it makes sense to invest in improving management skills. There are many programs out there that prepare executives for leadership positions. In this article, I’ll review the top leadership development program tools on the market today.

Keep reading for helpful insights on software to accelerate your career. You’ll find the right platform to help you achieve greater success, faster.

Related Read: Ready For 2023? Here Are 3 Tips To Help You Stand Out As A Leader

Comparison Criteria

What do I look for when I select the best leadership development platform? Here’s a summary of my evaluation criteria: 

  1. User Interface (UI): I look for software that busy executives can get to grips with easily. This means having an intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate.
  2. Usability: I expect the platform to be friendly to non-technical users who need to get things done without wasting time.
  3. Integrations: I look for a range of integrations with the most popular business management software suites.
  4. Value for $: I’m seeking platforms that deliver a real return on investment that easily justifies the cost of deployment.

Leadership Development Solution: Key Features

Although every leadership development platform is different, there are many core features that every system should offer. These include:

  1. Online progress assessments: the software should include tools for measuring individual progress and comprehension as employees complete assignments.
  2. Course development: a good corporate training platform will provide tools for creating compelling content tailored to the organization’s specific needs.
  3. User feedback: employees should be able to offer their opinion on the training to facilitate improvements and corrections.
  4. Compliance management: any corporate training platform should track participation and measure comprehension to ensure compliance mandates are met.
  5. Branding: the software should be easy to customize so that the look and feel match the corporate branding.
  6. Multimedia capabilities: the platform should be versatile enough to offer training using video, text, images, audio, and slide decks. 
  7. Personalization: the training should be easy to customize to suit the needs of different employees in different locations.

Overviews Of The 10 Best Leadership Development Program Software

Here’s a brief description of each online leadership development platform to showcase each tool’s best use case, some noteworthy features, and screenshots to give a snapshot of the user interface. 

1

Qooper

Best for executing high potential leadership programs through mentoring, learning and inclusion

Qooper is a mentoring, coaching, and learning platform for employees that can be used to create and facilitate leadership development programs. Organizations can use the software to develop customized development plans for individual employees or groups of staff. Learning paths created with the software can include articles, videos, podcasts, and assessments. It can facilitate various functions like training, employee onboarding, matching mentors and mentees, goal setting, and tracking progress.

Social learning features allow groups of employees to collaborate and learn from each other through discussions and peer-to-peer coaching. The software uses an algorithm to pair up mentors and mentees based on things like their job function, interests, and career goals. Once matched, groups or pairs can use the platform's messaging, group chats, and video conferencing features to facilitate their coaching.

A free demo is available, and pricing is available upon request.

Free demo available

Pricing upon request

2

BetterUp

Best for a mobile-first leadership solution

BetterUp is focused on providing executive coaching to help employees acquire new skills. Team members take an assessment on their mobile devices. The software then recommends three coaches based on AI-driven technology.

The employee can check out the background and qualifications of each coach, selecting the one that feels right for the job. Coaching sessions are held through the BetterUp app, using a video connection. The aim is to produce senior leaders who take team and business performance to the next level.

BetterUp offers customized pricing on request. There is no free trial.

Pricing upon request

3

LEADx

Best for coaching and micro-learning

LEADx designed their learning & development platform to solve two common challenges: people are too busy to take training courses, and even when they do, they often don’t remember or apply their learnings. To tackle these challenges, LEADx designed a program for executives that includes 200+ micro-learning lessons specifically developed for learners with busy schedules and short attention spans.

Their courses are mobile-accessible, which helps busy executives complete micro-tasks and micro-actions from anywhere. Tasks are typically 10 to 15 minutes long, making them easier to fit into your day, with automated nudges and reminders to keep learning on track. All learners also gain access to their certified leadership coaching team (that operates under the name “Coach Amanda”) allowing them to ask questions about anything, at any time.

LEADx offers customized pricing upon request, as well as a free demo.

Free demo available

Pricing upon request

4

LinkedIn Learning

Best for an on-demand leadership training library

LinkedIn Learning provides on-demand video training on a wide range of business, creative, and technology topics. Users benefit from a learning experience with personalized course and module recommendations, designed to help them achieve their full potential. These are based on data-driven insights from the millions of professionals who use the LinkedIn network.

With over 13,000 high-quality courses in its library, LinkedIn Learning offers a wealth of leadership development training. The on-demand system means learners can watch courses and webinars whenever convenient, using desktop or mobile devices. All courses are taught by experts with real-world experience.

LinkedIn Learning costs from $26.99/user/month, and a free one-month trial is available.

Free one-month trial

From $26.99/user/month

5

Emeritus

Best for executive education and teaching the skills of the future

Emeritus is committed to teaching the skills of the future by making high-quality education accessible and affordable to individuals, companies, and governments around the world. It does this by collaborating with more than 50 top-tier universities across the United States, Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, India and China.

Emeritus’ short courses, degree programs, professional certificates, and senior executive programs help individuals learn new skills and transform their lives, companies and organizations. Its unique model of state-of-the-art technology, curriculum innovation, and hands-on instruction from senior faculty, mentors and coaches has educated more than 250,000 individuals across 80 countries.

Founded in 2015, Emeritus, part of the Eruditus Group, has more than 2300+ team members globally and offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, Singapore, Palo Alto, Mexico City, New York, Boston, London, and Dubai.

Visit Emeritus' website for pricing details on their individual courses.

Pricing varies per course

6

Kornferry.com

Best for measuring and benchmarking leadership skills

Korn Ferry aims to close the 'potential gap' between where organizations are now and where they want to be in the future. This is achieved using the Intelligence Cloud, which uses AI to identify areas where improvements are needed. Internal talent data and external information feed a suite of enterprise applications to find the right answers.

Using Korn Ferry, companies can benchmark performance at industry, organization, team, and individual levels. These insights can then be used to align talent with strategy and make more informed decisions.

Korn Ferry offers customized pricing on request. There is no free trial.

Pricing upon request

7

Franklincovey.com

Best for proven leadership development principles

Franklin Covey delivers leadership, individual effectiveness, and business execution training. The education is fundamentally based on the writings of Benjamin Franklin and Steven Covey. The business has grown to offer a wide range of leadership training programs.

The training portfolio includes management training based on 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,' plus courses on the essential leadership roles and a wealth of leadership and development training. Senior executives can use these to develop a forward-thinking leadership style and become better time managers.

Korn Ferry offers customized pricing on request. There is no free trial.

Pricing upon request

8

Dalecarnegie.com

Best for a century of leadership training

DaleCarnegie.com is the legacy of the eponymous trainer—author of the bestselling personal development book, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People.’ Today, the organization provides executive leadership training online as well as in-person. Countless great leaders have benefited from the world-class business education on offer.

Through DaleCarnegie.com, your team members can improve competencies by learning from leadership and change management principles proven over many decades. Although rooted in traditional training, the courses offered today are designed to match the needs of high-potential executives who want to become effective leaders.

Courses are priced individually, with details available on the website. There are no free trials.

Pricing upon request

9

Torch.io

Best for combining people and technology to deliver digital learning

Torch.io is an integrated platform designed to make the most of human resources and measure employee growth. Leadership development is powered by data-driven personalization, top-tier coaching, and an engaged mentor community. The platform is designed to combine the benefits of advanced technology and human coaching to deliver holistic leadership education.

Organizations can create personalized learning paths with embedded collaboration and facilitation tools. Trained coaches provide ongoing executive development, while mentors are also on hand to offer high-touch, one-on-one development. The software includes tools for building, managing, and measuring learning—all accessible from a centralized dashboard.

Torch.io offers customized pricing on request. There is no free trial.

Pricing upon request

10

Hone

Best for high-impact, live leadership courses

Hone’s leadership & development platform offers live, online courses that are inclusive, scalable, engaging and effective. Their 60+ cohort-based courses cover everything from leadership to diversity, equity and inclusion, workplace wellbeing, and more, and are taught by experts in their field. To simplify the administrative side, their system also includes automated scheduling and communication, with full end-to-end reporting.

To ensure their training courses deliver the high-impact they promise, their programs include pre- and post-program assessments, learning tracks, and post-class resources. Their course facilitators also help students make live commitments, then follow up on them with reminders and reinforcement prompts. As a result, 90% of their learners show lasting behavior change following their course completion.

Hone offers pricing upon request, as well as a free demo.

Free demo available

Pricing upon request

Need Expert Help Selecting The Right Learning Management System (LMS) Software?

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The 10 Best Leadership Development Program Software Summary

Tool Free Option Price
1
Qooper

Best for executing high potential leadership programs through mentoring, learning and inclusion

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
2
BetterUp

Best for a mobile-first leadership solution

Not available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
3
LEADx

Best for coaching and micro-learning

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
4
LinkedIn Learning

Best for an on-demand leadership training library

Free one-month trial

From $26.99/user/month Visit Website
5
Emeritus

Best for executive education and teaching the skills of the future

Not available

Pricing varies per course Visit Website
6
Kornferry.com

Best for measuring and benchmarking leadership skills

Not available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
7
Franklincovey.com

Best for proven leadership development principles

Not available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
8
Dalecarnegie.com

Best for a century of leadership training

Not available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
9
Torch.io

Best for combining people and technology to deliver digital learning

Not available

Pricing upon request Visit Website
10
Hone

Best for high-impact, live leadership courses

Free demo available

Pricing upon request Visit Website

What Do You Think About This List?

Do you agree with my findings in this article? Let us know what you think by having your say in the comments below. 

If you found this list helpful, you may also want to check out our articles on resonant leadership and leading with empathy. You can also sign up for our newsletter to get the latest news from the fast-moving world of people managing people. 

For even more resources on leadership, check this list out: 14 Leadership Books For New Leaders To Read In 2023

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By Tim Reitsma

Tim is the co-founder and General Manager of People Managing People, an online publication focused on building a better world of work. He is experienced with people & culture, leadership, business strategy and operations with a focus on building great teams who are excited about their craft and their organization. With over 15 years of leadership experience, Tim has always been guided by his core values: faith, family, curiosity, and fun. He is a coach, mentor, speaker, advisor, and an active volunteer in his community. Tim loves spending time outdoors with his wife and two kids as well as mountain biking in the north shore mountains.