How to Measure the ROI of Leadership Development (03/17/26)

March 17, 2026

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What Leaders Can Learn from March Madness

I’m a big college basketball fan. Throughout the season I’m not going to miss my beloved Purdue Boilermakers play, and I’ll watch more TV during the next two weeks than during any other month in the year. Not everyone follows college basketball like I do, but here is what I do know:

  • March Madness is second only to the Super Bowl in total TV viewership each year.

  • Between 60-100 million brackets will be filled out.

  • $3.3 billion dollars will be wagered on games in the coming weeks.

Which means a lot of people will be basketball observers, if not just fans, over the next three weeks.

And it will be easier to follow my advice as an observer than as a serious fan like me – but all of us can benefit from what I am about to share.

If you want to learn leadership lessons from the 67 games that will come in the next few weeks, whether you watch a lot or a little, observe and think about these things:

  • Game flow changes. Teams will make big runs (score a bunch of points in a row). How does momentum matter in your workplace, and how can you capitalize on it?

  • Coaching styles will be evident. You will see all sorts of leadership styles among the coaches in real-time. How does your approach to leadership impact your results?

  • Cultural markers. You will see a variety of cultures on teams and within fan bases. How would people categorize the strength and effectiveness of your team and organizational culture?

  • TV creates storylines. Watch a game and you will see more than the action but also the storylines between coaches, with parents and much more. How can you use stories to captivate and influence others more effectively?

I could give you a longer list, but that is a good start. Mostly, I am urging you to watch at least some of the action and coverage through the leadership lens. If you do, you will win, even if your team doesn’t or your bracket gets busted.

How to Measure the ROI of Leadership Development

Measuring the ROI of leadership development is complex and confusing. I won’t solve all the problems and answer all the questions in this short article. But let me give you some new and fresh things to consider as you try to measure the effectiveness of your leaders.

Smart starts here.

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