How many times do we attend a leadership development course and become aware of new information and new tools, or learn new ways of addressing an issue and then return to our work only to fall back into the old same habits?
Let’s face it; we are a results-oriented, mission-focused culture. The opportunity to employ new methods of leadership and development, effective behaviors, and processes after returning from our leadership meetings is often overcome by not understanding what we learned in training.
This lack of understanding is often referred to as the leading theory-to-practice gap. The theory or way leaders are taught to lead, and the way they lead is often very different.
A considerable amount of research has been conducted within the leadership development field to identify issues involved in translating theory into practice. Stigmar views theory and practice as a contradiction and suggests that theory should provide us with context for specific problem-solving strategies to close the gap.
It is through teaching and learning that the gap between what leaders learn and what leaders do closes. This is an important concept for course developers and people that conduct training programs to integrate theory and practice in the hope that those being taught recognize the connection.
Align Theory and Practice
Studying the theory-to-practice gap reveals attempts made to close this gap with the use of icebreakers, leadership experiences, developmental models, and team discussions to help address that theory and practice are mutually dependent and that expertise is only attained when both are developed and realized. When leaders fail to consider theory and practice together, the risk of thoughtlessly addressing leadership issues exists.
Knowing theory can assist leaders in being more effective. Furthermore, theory guides and informs practice by addressing other complex issues, such as the aim of leadership in general.
Leaders are continuously challenged to provide a productive and effective environment for their personnel to work and thrive. With this in mind, let’s explore in detail how leaders can take key leadership concepts and apply them to daily practice.
Though more than twenty years old, Dreyfus and Dreyfus provide a useful model that articulates the relationship between theory and practice and offers a progression in how we learn new leadership practices.
Within their model, mentorship with active participants is suggested as a solution to bridge the theory-to-practice gap. Ironically, it has been both the research of leadership theory and the practice of leaders that have identified the previous as potential solutions.
Leadership Development Challenges
There are numerous reasons why leaders fall short of applying credible leadership development skills. Examples include:
- Leader development courses may be poorly developed
- Facilitator’s inability to link leadership theory to practice
- Theories taught do not seem to be applicable to most leadership environments
- Lack of experience with newer media and technology used to translate leadership concepts to learners
- Lack of motivation of leaders-in-training to apply newer leadership theories
The major challenges associated with translating theory into practice are leaders’ idealistic tendencies and advancing technology. Leaders need to balance the ideal with the real. Theories tend to be very idealistic and are usually conceptualized based on optimum conditions. This is where the friction of theory to application exists, and the impact of human emotion and interaction affects the nature of using a theory holistically.
The challenge that exists is to apply as much of a theory as possible with the consideration of real-time environmental factors and variables. In regard to the technology challenge, leaders responsible for their organization’s workforce development should have some understanding of how people learn before providing for or implementing developmental opportunities.
Use Technology Wisely
Complicating this process is the number of rapidly advancing technologies. With tools that promise to increase engagement, communication, interaction, efficiency, and learning, leaders may overlook credible educational theories.
It is easy for leaders to make bad choices when lured by promising technology that could result in wasted money, time, or learning opportunities, all the while causing undue frustration.
Being knowledgeable of leadership theory and how adults participate in what they have learned will certainly make a difference in the development of our future leaders. This is where integrating leadership and learning theory is especially important to close the theory-to-practice gap.
In other words, leadership content and how adults learn can assist educators, trainers, and managers in delivering effective leadership training. Regardless of what the current leadership theories are, leaders should be taught via an appropriate educational theory that best meets the reality that leaders face today.
To get the most out of workforce development efforts and to tap into and use or refine the theories gained while away at school, leaders that balance the ideal with the real, understand learning theory, and utilize the most appropriate technologies will most likely get the most out their employees and organizations.
When there is an effort to close the theory-to-practice gap through meaningful development, an organization’s growth and success are limitless!
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John,
I agree with the need for synthesis from a participants perspective as they attempt to apply new skills back in the workplace. This applies to any training intervention.
I liked your comment that “Theories tend to be very idealistic and are usually conceptualized based on optimum conditions.” This points to a need, and responsibility for course designers to design courses in a way that make it more obvious to learners what and how to apply concepts back in the workplace.
There is a growing body of knowledge around action learning that is helpful, especially for leadership development. Also, as you point out, course designers should consider sound educational principles when they design learning programs.
Wow, this is great material John. It so important to have individuals that have real-world experience training on leadership issues. Too many times theory is the only approach being used to teach because the individual does not have or does have little real-world experience. From my personal experience it has been that ability to transform theory into practical applications through experience is what jumps the gap.
Where would you suggest someone in need of real-world leadership training could find training and/or trainers with both the theory and experience knowledge base to effectively provide workable solutions?
Thanks for the great post! I really like the point about aligning theories and practices. I’ve seen it so often where leaders “know” a lot, but their actions just don’t show it. Maybe it’s because there was a gap in the leadership training where they were not taught how to apply what they have learned.