What Is the Difference Between Learning and Development?

1. The organization relies too much on self-directed learning.

It’s common to hear that leaders should own their development. Yes, it’s true that leaders should fully participate in development and apply what they’ve learned to improve. What this doesn’t mean is that we should only rely on self-directed learning.

Many organizations invest in huge online libraries of learning content. They promote them to leaders as a “one-stop shop” for building leadership skills on demand. Sounds great, right? And as an added bonus, this content is often high quality and presented in a compelling way.

Unfortunately, this "build it and they will come" strategy doesn’t provide the same benefits as a more coordinated leadership development program. But what does a more coordinated program have? Leaders can also practice skills in a psychologically safe environment and socialize new behaviors while working with their peers.

Today’s leaders want development that is customized, relevant, and connected to the challenges they face. DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast found that leaders value approaches such as professional coaching and developmental assignments, while organizations most commonly rely on instructor-led training, e-learning, and manager coaching. The takeaway isn’t that one format is best. In fact, organizations that use five or more development approaches are 4.9X more likely to report that their programs improve leadership capabilities.

2. Leaders participate in programs but don’t change and grow.

Learning only becomes development when it’s applied on the job. When leaders go to training programs but don’t change their behavior, they may have learned, but they certainly haven’t developed.

And the cause of this lack of change and growth? It’s often a shortage of self-insight. Resources like 360 feedback tools and simulation-based assessments uncover blind spots. These resources also show leaders why they need to change and how they can do it. In addition, the data and insights these tools provide help leaders become more committed to making a change.

Leaders also struggle to change when their development isn’t connected to the organization’s business or cultural priorities. If the same learning programs have been in place for years despite significant organizational changes, leaders may see them as outdated, irrelevant, or a mere formality. But how do top organizations avoid this? Regular leadership needs analyses are a good place to start. It can also help organizations align development offerings with the challenges their leaders face today.

One way to make sure learning leads to development is to ask, “What challenges do our leaders need to solve in the current business context?” If turnover rates are through the roof, your program needs to build the skills to address that. If your company is going through a merger or acquisition, your leadership programs should provide leaders with skills to navigate a more complex stakeholder environment and lead through change.

And as business needs shift, development priorities should shift with them. For example, DDI’s research found substantial gaps in future-focused skills such as setting strategy, managing change, identifying and developing future talent, and decision-making and prioritization. Development should target the capabilities leaders will need next—not simply repeat the topics they have learned before.

3. Learning is episodic and lacks “connective tissue.”

When learning is event-based and not part of a bigger development experience, it’s hard to build the momentum for meaningful leadership development. Leaders may want to make the most of leadership development opportunities, but ultimately, they need guidance and direction to do it. As a leadership development professional, your job is to create that structure, accountability, and engagement.

For this reason, effective organizations create development experiences that connect multiple approaches over time. Formal learning may be reinforced through coaching, assessment, peer learning, digital resources, practice simulations, and opportunities to apply new skills on the job. Rather than treating each learning event as a standalone experience, this approach gives leaders an ongoing path to insight, practice, feedback, and application.

Effective development connects these experiences so leaders have repeated opportunities to learn, practice, get feedback, and apply new skills on the job. Purposeful practice is especially important. Giving leaders safe, realistic environments to try new behaviors can build confidence and help them carry those skills into real leadership moments.

4. Learners don’t have support from their leaders.

Learners have the best opportunity to develop when their own leader supports them with coaching. In this environment, learning is the means to better performance, but not the end. For learning to become development, the learner’s leader must challenge them to apply new skills and provide meaningful feedback.

Some well-meaning managers may send struggling leaders to training programs so that “HR can fix them.” While formal development can certainly help, managers play a critical role in turning learning into lasting behavior change. They reinforce new skills through coaching, feedback, practice opportunities, and conversations about how development connects to performance.

DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast underscores just how important that support can be. Employees whose managers actively support their development are 11X more likely to trust their manager, while employees who receive manager feedback or have managers who are effective coaches are 9X more likely to trust them.