Stop Measuring Vibes: The ROI Case for Leadership Training

“It was a great workshop!” is not a metric your CFO cares about.

Somewhere along the line, learning, and leadership development got cozy with adjectives like “inspirational,” “engaging,” and “empowering.” That kind of language scores well on a feedback form but it doesn’t survive a budget review.

The moment someone asks, “So, what changed for the organization (or team, or leader)?” you need measurable proof.

Skills like leadership communication, collaboration, and executive presence are consistently praised yet hard to quantify. They’re often sidelined in budget talks because results aren’t framed in business terms.

L&D leaders know communication can make or break business performance. When key messages land poorly, decisions lag, stakeholders are unsure of strategic direction, and costs climb. Those communication breakdowns erode productivity. And the effects are visible in operating results.

But belief doesn’t close budget conversations, learning and development leaders need results they can prove. If we want “soft skills” to be treated as strategic, we have to measure them like strategy.

Making Invisible Outcomes Visible

Leadership and communication training translates into visible behaviors and measurable business outcomes, like when:

• Teams stay present under pressure and communicate their ideas and data in a way that impacts decision-making.
• Managers set the tone with consistent, transparent communication that builds trust and builds respect within a team.
• Leaders increase buy-in from teams by aligning employees with their vision and goals.

But, how can L&D leaders measure these intangible behavior shifts?

The ROI Measurements to Use to Earns L&D’s Place in the Budget

To draw a through-line from behavior change to business impact, here are three ROI measurements to track.

Behavior Change

Evidence: calibrated observation rubrics, leader self-reports, peer/manager 180s at 30/60/90 days.

Questions to ask: 

• Are leaders applying the skills they developed in high-stakes moments like board meetings, town halls, and performance reviews?
• Do you see observable shifts in presence, clarity, and listening?
• How do peers feel? More motivated, engaged, and aligned with their manager?

Strategic Alignment

Evidence: message maps used in launches, improved decision cycle time

Questions to ask: 

• Does the training reinforce business priorities: transformation, growth bets, client outcomes?
• Are teams aligned on goals and aware of how their work supports broader strategy?

Business Impact

Evidence: engagement pulse scores, attrition in critical roles, promotion velocity, stakeholder NPS, program-attributed OKRs.

Questions to ask: 

• Are trust, engagement, or retention improving?
• Are we moving win rates, time-to-decision, or the quality of executive communication?
• What happens to program participants post-program? What’s their career trajectory and annual feedback YoY?

A Simple Roadmap That Gives ‘Soft Skills’ a Hard Edge

The cost of not measuring training outcomes is your credibility and your department’s budget share. Measuring how behavior shifts turn into business results is how you can prove ROI on leadership or communication training. What are you doing to measure your results?

When you don’t speak the language of business impact, you lose the right to ask for budget, no matter how “essential” the training actually is.

Ready to replace “great workshop” with measurable business impact? Let’s talk.