What Leadership Training Is (And What It’s Missing)

Tara Grant
Jun 15
4 min read

If you’ve ever typed “what leadership training is” into a search bar, chances are you’re in a position where leadership matters—whether you’re a coach, HR professional, educator, healing practitioner, or someone stepping into greater influence in your life and work.

Leadership training is everywhere. But as it becomes a booming industry, it’s worth asking:What is leadership training actually preparing us for—and what is it leaving out?

What Is Leadership Training?

Leadership training typically refers to programs or workshops designed to build professional leadership skills such as communication, delegation, decision-making, conflict management, team dynamics, and goal setting. These trainings are often targeted toward corporate settings, executive roles, human resources, or coaching and consulting professionals.

And while these skills are useful, conventional leadership training is often missing something essential—especially when it comes to embodied, relational, and socially-conscious leadership.

The Blind Spots of Traditional Leadership Training

Despite its popularity, mainstream leadership development often falls short in five key areas:

1. It’s Rooted in Corporate Meritocracy

Most programs are built around corporate values: productivity, control, hierarchy, and measurable outcomes. Leadership becomes a checklist of behaviors rather than a relational, self-aware practice. This frame can be limiting—especially for people whose leadership is rooted in community, healing, or cultural intelligence.

2. It Centers a Narrow Vision of Leadership

Leadership is often portrayed as loud, charismatic, and externally polished. But real leadership includes quiet presence, emotional depth, and intuitive wisdom. People who lead from vulnerability, cultural insight, or relational awareness are often overlooked.

3. It Lacks Systemic and Cultural Awareness

True leadership must be equipped to navigate power, privilege, and inequity. Many leadership programs mention DEI but fail to integrate it meaningfully. Without systemic awareness, leaders may unknowingly reinforce harm or exclusion.

4. It Ignores the Body and Nervous System

Leadership happens in the body—not just in strategies. Emotional regulation, intuition, safety, and presence are somatic skills that affect how we show up in stress, conflict, or power dynamics. Traditional training leaves these out.

5. It Views Leadership as a Role, Not a Relationship

Leadership is not just about holding a title—it’s about how we relate to power, responsibility, and the people around us. It’s an ongoing practice of awareness, impact, and connection. Most trainings don’t teach this depth of relational leadership.

What’s Needed: A More Embodied and Inclusive Model of Leadership

A truly transformational leadership training model should be:

Systemically aware, not just focused on individual behavior
Embodied and trauma-informed, not just cognitive or strategic
Inclusive of diverse leadership expressions, not based on narrow archetypes
Grounded in relational power and care, not hierarchical dominance
Able to hold emotional complexity, not just goal-oriented performance

Who This Is For

Whether you’re in HR, a coach or consultant, a therapist or somatic practitioner—your leadership impacts how others feel, grow, and show up.

This kind of integrative leadership training can help you:

Build emotionally intelligent and trust-based teams
Hold space for conflict and difference with grounded presence
Lead without replicating systems of control or invisibility
Embody the values of care, community, and transformation
Expand your practice beyond productivity into authentic impact

Leadership training is more than a professional checkbox. It’s an invitation to transform how you relate to power, people, and yourself.

The world doesn’t need more leaders who check boxes. It needs embodied, self-aware, inclusive leaders who hold space for complexity—and lead from the truth of who they are.

Ready to explore a new way of leading—rooted in care, community, and consciousness?Let’s redefine leadership, together.

FAQs About Leadership Training

What is leadership training, exactly?

Leadership training refers to structured programs designed to enhance leadership skills—like communication, decision-making, performance management, and team building. These are often delivered in corporate or organizational settings but can vary widely in depth and scope.

Why is conventional leadership training not enough anymore?

Most traditional programs focus on external performance and overlook the body, emotional intelligence, systemic awareness, and relational dynamics. Today’s leaders need tools that address trauma, power, culture, and community to lead in more inclusive and effective ways.

What does embodied leadership mean?

Embodied leadership means leading from the whole self—integrating emotional regulation, somatic awareness, and relational presence. It emphasizes being grounded in your body and aware of your impact in real-time, especially in moments of stress or conflict.

How is this type of leadership training different from corporate trainings?

This training focuses on relational leadership, power awareness, and emotional intelligence—not just productivity or goal setting. It includes nervous system tools, trauma-informed care, and cultural inclusion, helping you lead with integrity and authenticity.

Is this for people outside of traditional business or corporate settings?

Absolutely. This training is especially relevant for coaches, therapists, healing practitioners, educators, artists, activists, and community leaders—anyone seeking to lead in a more relational, grounded, and transformative way.

What are the benefits of leadership training rooted in embodiment and systemic awareness?You’ll cultivate: