Invest Early or Pay Later: The Real ROI of Leadership Development

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Welcome to Leadership Unscripted. Each edition, we share 1 Case Study, 1 Framework, 1 Question. These are real moments and practical strategies for rethinking your approach to leadership.

Live NYC Invite — September 17

If you're based in or near NYC—or open to traveling—we’d love to invite you to a special event:

We’re hosting a curated leadership breakfast at the Gansevoort Hotel, featuring Unity Through Awareness™, our most transformative team leadership experience.

• Date: September 17, 2025

• Time: 8:30–11:30am

• Location: Gansevoort Hotel, NYC

• Cost: No cost to attend—our gift to you

• Includes: Breakfast + hands-on preview session

• Led by: Solomon Masala + Saterman Connect faculty

Why attend?

• Connect with peers across industries

• Gain practical tools for leading through complexity

• Experience the mindset work that drives real cultural change

➡ Space is limited—secure your seat today and register here.

Lisa was the Chief People Officer at a mid-sized software company with strong Glassdoor reviews and steady growth. Most leadership investments were focused at the top: executive retreats, coaching, and outside advisory boards for the C-suite.

Meanwhile, people managers were on their own.

There were no structured leadership programs, no peer support, no ongoing development. But they were hitting their goals, so… nothing felt urgent.

Until it was.

In just six months, 4 out of 7 mid-level managers either left or burned out. One cited “no real growth path.” Another flagged “constant pressure, zero development.” And while their exits weren’t catastrophic individually, the downstream impact was.

• Projects slowed.

• Team engagement tanked.

• Turnover across departments spiked.

• Recruiting costs soared.

Lisa presented the numbers to her CEO. What seemed like a few isolated losses turned out to be a $2.4M problem. And one that could’ve been avoided.

She realized something crucial:

The leverage point isn’t only at the top. It’s in the middle—where most of the culture lives and breathes.

They paused.

They restructured.

And they made a new commitment: invest early and often in the people doing the everyday work of leadership.

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1 Framework

Invest at the Middle, Reap at the Top

Leadership development shouldn’t be reactionary. It should be rhythmic.

Here’s what we mean:

✅ Don’t wait until a manager burns out to offer support.
✅ Don’t wait until turnover spikes to explore development.
✅ Don’t wait for performance to dip before you build capability.

Instead, invest when things are good. That’s when leaders are most open, most confident, and most capable of deepening their growth.

Because when you support the middle, the top gets stronger, and the entire organization wins.

🧭 Want to explore how this might look in your org?

Explore the Drive. Leadership Academy for growing and advancing leaders

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1 Question

Leadership isn’t just about who’s next in line. It’s about who’s already carrying the weight. 👉 Are you investing in the leaders who lead today, or only in those with the title tomorrow?

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Real Stories. Real Tools. Real Impact.

Forget the fluff. We’re that company, revealing behind-the-scenes leadership wins and strategies that actually work.

Because all it takes is one bold move to shatter barriers, inspire your team, and make your mark.