Leadership Can Be Learned, But How Is It Measured?

How does leadership development contribute to measurable changes in organizational performance, that is, behavior changes in teams and the results they produce that contribute to the organization’s overall goals? How should we explore and document the performance factors and experiences of participants to understand the influences of a leadership program? To answer these questions, Management Sciences for Health developed a comprehensive yet practical approach for evaluating the outcomes of its leadership development programs with health sector participants in developing countries. This evaluation involves both tracking and documenting concrete evidence of change and incorporating the human face of these data to understand the struggles and victories behind the results achieved. This paper describes the evaluation methodology used and shares the lessons learned through the experience of the Management and Leadership (M&L) and Leadership, Management and Sustainability (LMS) programs.