Think Big: Rethinking the Role of Leadership Development Providers in Canada’s Changing Economy

Leadership training continues to play a central role in professional development, shaping how organizations cultivate talent and sustain performance. From first-line supervisors to mid-level managers and aspiring executives preparing for senior roles, leadership education has long been a bridge between potential and performance. It helps individuals understand not only how to lead teams, but also how to influence systems, culture, and organizational strategy. 

Traditionally, most leadership programs in Canada have focused on developing a series of individual competencies such as executive presence, emotional intelligence, authenticity, inclusivity, and change leadership. These capabilities have served organizations well by fostering stability, collaboration, and empathy in leadership practice. In recent years, additional priorities, such as diversity, sustainability, and advocacy, have become more visible components of this mix, reflecting the country’s evolving social and corporate landscape. Courses in strategic thinking, business acumen, financial fluency, digital transformation, organization design, data literacy, and now AI adoption are often positioned as complementary skills rather than core elements of leadership training. 

This raises an important question: Do we need to completely rethink our approach to leadership development in Canada’s evolving economy? 

The answer may lie somewhere in between. While the fundamental competencies remain valid, the context and intended use of leadership training are shifting. Historically, leadership programs have been designed to optimize workforce engagement, alignment, sensitivity to diverse teams, and retention, all under a steady-state assumption of incremental growth. Many organizations have sought to build entrepreneurial thinking, but often within systems that prize stability and caution. It is perhaps no coincidence that Canada continues to lag behind other G7 nations in productivity growth, a signal that current models of leadership development may not be fully addressing the challenges of a rapidly transforming economy. 

A New Leadership Context 

Today, however, leaders are operating amid greater uncertainty and urgency. Multiple sectors are facing disruptive pressures that require not just survival strategies but bold moves toward new markets and longer-term growth. The leadership mindset required is one of speed, external orientation, calculated risk-taking, and openness to new partnerships and ideas. Organizations may need to re-examine internal systems and processes to enable faster collaboration and decision-making. 

The shift is not only operational but also cultural. For decades, leadership development in Canada has often emphasized harmony, inclusion, and process integrity. These values remain essential, but programs have been less focused on training leaders to manage disruption, handle ambiguity, or mobilize teams in times of intense change. As global markets evolve and technology continues to transform business models, leadership development providers face growing expectations to design programs that prepare leaders to make bolder, faster, and more contextually informed decisions. 

Leadership development providers already teach many of the necessary competencies, from inclusive leadership to systems thinking and strategic agility. The opportunity now is to reframe these skills within new economic realities and to design use cases that simulate the demands of rapid growth, innovation, and adaptation. In other words, it is not about teaching different skills; it is about teaching the same skills differently, in contexts that test their application under pressure. 

The Role of HR and Internal Service Departments 

One area of reflection involves the role of internal service departments such as procurement, legal, IT, and HR, which are sometimes perceived as slowing down innovation. Is this due to the nature of their responsibilities, or does it reflect a deeper cultural tension between protecting the organization and enabling progress? 

During the pandemic, many of these same systems adapted quickly, finding ways to support urgent decision-making without compromising ethical or safety standards. That experience demonstrated that balance is possible when leaders establish a culture that empowers these departments to act as both guardians and enablers of growth. The challenge now is to sustain that momentum and embed it into organizational DNA. 

For HR departments in particular, the implications are significant. HR is no longer simply a support function. It is a strategic partner in shaping workforce capabilities, organizational culture, and long-term competitiveness. The design and delivery of leadership training must reflect this expanded role. HR teams and external providers can collaborate more deeply to identify emerging skill gaps, tailor programs to sector realities, and build learning environments that encourage experimentation rather than compliance. 

From Classroom to Context  

As leaders explore new markets, products, and partnerships, they must also cultivate intellectual curiosity: asking difficult questions, seeking diverse perspectives, and engaging with frontline expertise. These behaviours not only enrich strategic decision-making but also bring inclusive and authentic leadership principles to life. 

Each sector has its own story to tell. For some, such as automotive or manufacturing, the challenge is survival and reinvention. For others like resource extraction, infrastructure, or Northern development, the opportunity lies in expansion, innovation, and collaboration with Indigenous and regional partners. In all cases, leaders will need to apply strategic, critical, and systems thinking skills in complex and often ambiguous contexts. 

A Call for Applied Learning 

For professional development service providers, the path forward may involve designing applied learning environments that mirror the realities of disruption. Whether through short case discussions, cross-functional team projects, or multi-day innovation labs, these experiences allow leaders to practice decision-making under pressure while applying both technical and interpersonal skills. 

For example, a program might present participants with a simulated market shock or policy change and challenge them to respond collaboratively, balancing speed with prudence. Another could focus on navigating an emerging international opportunity that requires cross-border partnerships and ethical considerations. These use cases not only build skill, they also cultivate mindset, encouraging leaders to think expansively about risk, opportunity, and national competitiveness. 

The most effective leadership development providers will also deepen their collaboration with employers, co-creating programs grounded in live organizational challenges rather than generic case studies. This kind of partnership ensures that leadership education contributes directly to business outcomes while giving participants a safe environment to experiment and learn. 

Reframing, Not Replacing 

Ultimately, preparing Canada’s next generation of leaders may not require inventing new competencies but recontextualizing existing ones, framing them within the realities of a changing economy and a more demanding global landscape. Leadership training in 2025 and beyond must address not only what leaders need to know but also how quickly they can learn, adapt, and act. 

By grounding leadership education in relevant, sector-specific scenarios, professional development providers and HR departments can help leaders think bigger, move faster, and act with greater confidence as they shape the future of Canada’s organizations. The next phase of leadership development in Canada may not be defined by new theories or tools, but by a renewed sense of urgency that asks leaders and educators alike to bridge the gap between learning and doing, and between caution and boldness. In this moment of transition, leadership development is not just a service; it is a strategic catalyst for national renewal.