Developing Leaders at All Levels: A Conversation with Dr. Emiley Hedberg

Leadership development is often viewed through the narrow lens of executive coaching and C-suite training, but Dr. Emiley Hedberg, PsyD, LP , a Senior Leadership Consultant at The Lumin Group, challenges that notion. In our conversation, she emphasized the necessity of cultivating leadership at all levels, not just at the top. Investing in people throughout an organization leads to stronger cultures, increased retention, and ultimately, greater business performance.

Leadership Without a Title: Why It Matters

Traditional leadership development focuses on executives, but Dr. Hedberg and her team believe in a broader approach. “We don’t designate leadership to just people managers. Everyone has the potential to have influence and impact, regardless of whether they support a team or run a function,” she explained.

This philosophy aligns with the idea that leadership is not confined to a title. Employees who feel empowered to lead, regardless of their official role, are more engaged, productive, and committed to the organization. Investing in leadership development at all levels fosters a culture where employees take ownership of their work and contribute more meaningfully to the organization’s mission.

Tying Leadership Development to Retention and ROI

One of the biggest challenges leadership consultants face is proving the return on investment (ROI) of their initiatives. Organizations want to know how leadership development efforts translate into tangible business outcomes. Dr. Hedberg acknowledged this challenge, emphasizing that it’s essential to move beyond feel-good training sessions and focus on measurable impact.

“When organizations invest in leadership development, they want to see results. It’s not just about whether employees enjoyed the training - it’s about whether it led to meaningful and sustainable change,” she said. “We tie our programs to key metrics like absenteeism, employee engagement, and even customer satisfaction scores.”

A major focus of The Lumin Group’s work is on nervous system regulation, helping leaders manage their energy and stress levels more effectively. This approach has practical implications: lower stress leads to reduced absenteeism and fewer healthcare-related costs. “If we can decrease the number of sick days employees take by teaching these skills, that’s a direct financial benefit to the organization, and to the well-being of the employee” Dr. Hedberg noted.

The Role of Coaching in Sustaining Leadership Growth

Workshops and training sessions provide knowledge, but true leadership growth requires sustained effort. Dr. Hedberg’s team integrates coaching into their leadership development academies to reinforce learning and drive behavior change.

“Coaching is critical because it builds in accountability. It’s easy to attend a training session and walk away with good ideas, but without ongoing support, many of those ideas never turn into action,” she explained. Coaching ensures that leaders apply what they’ve learned, reflect on their challenges, and continuously improve.

She also stressed the importance of framing leadership development conversations in terms that resonate with executives. “If you’re speaking to business leaders, you need to communicate in their language. They’re thinking about performance metrics, profitability, and operational efficiency. If you can connect leadership training to those areas, you’ll gain much more buy-in.”

Strengths-Based Leadership: Playing to Your Genius

Dr. Hedberg is a certified facilitator of The Six Types of Working Genius, a model developed by Patrick Lencioni that helps individuals and teams understand their natural strengths. This strengths-based approach resonates deeply with her philosophy of leadership development.

“We use this model to help teams understand where their natural talents lie and how they can complement one another,” she said. “Rather than solely focusing on? weaknesses, we encourage leaders to lean into their strengths and build teams that fill in the gaps.”

This approach not only enhances team performance but also increases job satisfaction. When employees are aligned with work that fits their strengths, they are more engaged, productive, and likely to stay with the organization.

Creating a Resilient and Adaptive Workplace Culture

In today’s fast-paced and often volatile work environment, organizations need to be both resilient and adaptive. Dr. Hedberg and her team focus on helping companies cultivate cultures that support both individual well-being and organizational performance.

“We differentiate between culture and climate. Culture is the overarching values and behaviors of an organization, but climate is what employees experience every day—the feel of the workplace,” she explained. “We focus on shaping the climate by helping individuals regulate their energy, build trust, and communicate effectively.”

Resilient teams don’t just survive challenges; they thrive through them. Organizations that prioritize well-being, stress management, and adaptability see higher retention rates, increased innovation, and improved overall performance. Deloitte’s research supports this, showing that companies that focus on well-being experience greater productivity and lower turnover.

Final Thoughts: A Call to Action for Organizations

When asked what one action organizations should take today to improve leadership development, Dr. Hedberg’s response was clear: “Ask whether you’re looking for knowledge transfer or behavior change. If you want behavior change, you need mechanisms in place - coaching, accountability, and reinforcement - to ensure it happens.”

For leadership consultants, her advice was equally direct: “Foster strong relationships with decision-makers. The better you understand their needs and business challenges, the more effectively you can position your services as essential rather than optional.”

Leadership development isn’t just about creating better managers - it’s about equipping individuals at all levels with the skills, mindset, and resilience to drive meaningful impact. Dr. Hedberg’s insights highlight a crucial shift in how organizations should approach leadership: as an investment in their people, their culture, and ultimately, their bottom line.