Ahead of Davos: Leadership Insights from McKinsey and Aurelia Academy’s Vision for the Future

As leaders from across the globe convene at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, one topic remains critical: how to develop leaders who can navigate today’s complex challenges. McKinsey & Company, our strategic partner at Aurelia Academy, recently published?“Why Leadership Development Programs Fail,”?an article highlighting why many initiatives fall short and how to course-correct.

At Aurelia Academy, we are proud to align with these insights and to complement them through our targeted and bespoke approach to empowering female high-potentials - accomplished professionals with the potential for senior leadership roles. By combining transformational leadership curricula with meaningful community-building activities, we equip participants to navigate the ever-changing automotive and mobility landscape.

Key Lessons from McKinsey: Why Leadership Programs Fail

McKinsey identifies four critical reasons leadership development initiatives often fall short:

1. Overlooking Context Programs must be tailored to the specific needs of the industry and organizational challenges. Contextual relevance is crucial - leaders excel when their development aligns with the realities they face.
2. Decoupling Reflection from Real Work While theoretical learning has its place, leadership development is most impactful when embedded in real-world experiences and tied directly to actionable projects.
3. Underestimating Mindsets Sustainable leadership requires addressing deep-seated beliefs, assumptions, and mindsets. Without tackling these underlying factors, behavioral changes rarely stick.
4. Failing to Measure Results Measuring outcomes ensures accountability and relevance. When results are not monitored - whether individual, organizational, or industry-wide - the true value of leadership programs cannot be realized.

Aurelia Academy: Targeted and Bespoke Leadership Empowerment for Female High-Potentials in the Mobility Space

In line with McKinsey’s findings, Aurelia Academy integrates these recommendations to create a comprehensive leadership development experience for female high-potentials:

1. Future Readiness Across Contexts Aurelia Academy ensures that participants are prepared at the individual, organizational, and industry levels. Our curriculum delivers the latest contextual insights, addressing not only the challenges of the mobility industry but also the broader global environment.
2. Real-World Reflection and Action Weekly reflection prompts are carefully linked to participants’ real-world challenges and include actionable calls for change. This approach ensures that reflection translates directly into impactful behavior in their roles.
3. Individual Style and Mindset Analysis Even before the program begins, every participant undergoes a detailed Individual Style Profile (ISP) analysis with Spencer Stuart. This personalized assessment forms the foundation for all reflection and learning activities throughout the program - spanning individual, organizational, and industry contexts.
4. Measuring Impact and Results As an open program serving high-potential female leaders across Europe, our legacy initiative focuses on measuring individual outcomes, including career progression and personal growth. For in-house programs, we recommend linking leadership outcomes to broader HR strategies, such as high-potential identification, succession planning, and DEI reporting.

Our Legacy Program: Cohort #5

Having successfully completed four cohorts in 2024, we are preparing to launch Cohort #5 - the final intake of our legacy program - on February 18, 2025. This cohort represents the culmination of our commitment to delivering targeted and bespoke leadership empowerment.

A Call to Action: Shaping the Future Together

As Davos amplifies the global focus on effective leadership, Aurelia Academy stands as a testament to what is possible when leadership development is done right. We invite partners, participants, and advocates to join us in empowering the next generation of female leaders.

Let’s ensure leadership development succeeds - by design, not by chance.

References:

• McKinsey & Company.?“Why Leadership Development Programs Fail.”?Read the full article here: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/why-leadership-development-programs-fail?cid=other-eml-cls-mip-mck&hlkid=476a5c51a9ca445399a74a14e948dcc9&hctky=11876787&hdpid=60d1d1d2-ae08-4e53-aecb-cfe7a2e181ff#/