Leadership Skills That Stick: The Power of Practice in Action
True leadership doesn’t develop in a classroom. Both new and seasoned leaders built this essential skill through practice—and lots of it.
At Abilitie, we don’t just teach skills. We create leadership development programs through simulation-based training that reshapes the way people see themselves and their capabilities, which is the single most powerful catalyst for real growth. Instead of memorizing facts or sitting through bland lectures, our experimental learning programs blend human connection and technology to deliver transformational experiences for organizations, teams, and individuals.
Some corporate training programs lean heavily on facts, skills, and assessments. This method certainly has its place, but when teaching something as profound as leadership and decision-making, you need a different approach.
1. Practice Is Essential To Identity
When we talk about practice, we’re talking about more than skill-building. We're creating opportunities for people to imagine themselves as effective leaders.
As Luke Owings, the VP of Product at Abilitie, says, “The power of practice is our ability to create worlds where our learners can step into roles they have not yet had, or roles that they want to have, or roles that they’re just starting to have and see themselves in those roles.”
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“Abilitie doesn’t have a ‘one-size fits all’ offering. Their ability (pun intended) to adapt to our needs in such a short amount of time highlights the flexible nature of their product design and construct. As a client, that’s a highly valuable attribute of their offering.”
Leadership Skills That Stick: The Power of Practice in Action - Abilitie
practice provides learners with a safe and structured way to stretch, take risks, and begin to see themselves in a new light. “Through that, you should begin to see yourself in a new way, and you begin to be effective using a new set of tools that you’ve never used before,” Owings adds.
We see it all the time: new managers in our manager training program, Management Challenge, begin to think less like individual contributors and more like leaders. Consultants in our Business Challenge simulation don’t just memorize financial terms; they develop empathy for clients' challenges.
Practice doesn’t just change what people know—it changes how they see themselves. You just can’t get that from a textbook or video module alone.
2. Practice Beats Traditional Learning
Most traditional training methods rely on lectures, PowerPoints, or passive content. Not only is this boring, but it isn’t enough to engage learners. As Luke Owings puts it, “Practice is better than anything else because it has an immediate feedback loop.” You’re not just hearing about a concept—you’re living it, testing it, and adjusting in real time.
Real-world professionals already know this. Doctors have residencies. Pilots complete fly-alongs. Athletes train daily. Practice is the foundation of mastery in all fields, no matter the industry. “We believe in practice because that’s the way the world works. That’s the way people learn, and that’s the way people step forward,” Owings says. This is why corporate training that works focuses on putting learners in realistic, high-stakes scenarios where they can make decisions and experience the consequences.
3. Engagement = Real Growth
Without engagement, even the best content falls flat. As Matt Confer, our VP of Strategy, says, “If you don’t have learner engagement, it doesn’t matter how good the content is. You could have the best content in the world, but if it’s a virtual training where someone’s just clicking on YouTube, they’re not going to learn anything.”
The magic recipe is to create practical experiences that are social, time-bound, and (a little) competitive. By engaging learners, practice-based learning gets them invested in the material. In fact, disengagement is nearly impossible with this setup, and that’s good news for professional development. “You are, by nature, more engaged in an Abilitie solution than you are with most other things,” Confer says.
For example, a major real estate company worked with Abilitie to solve the pressing issue of new manager attrition. After completing the Abilitie Management Challenge simulation, managers felt more confident and prepared, and they stayed in their roles longer. “If you give people the skills to be more successful in their role, they will, in turn, enjoy the role more and commit to the company for a longer period of time,” Matt Confer says. That’s learning that sticks.
4. Fail In Safety
Mistakes are a critical part of learning, so why do most trainings penalize participants for getting things wrong? Healthy environments provide safe spaces where participants can experience failure and learn in a supportive way. “True learning happens when you have the opportunity to make mistakes,” Confer explains. “A simulated environment is a very safe environment. There tends to be a joyful environment because it’s just, by nature, very fun. It’s almost disarming—you’re not scared you might do something wrong.”
That joy, safety, and challenge are what create real growth and help upskill leaders in a way that stays with them far beyond the training.
Practice Outperforms Theory
Real leadership development doesn’t happen by memorizing facts or sitting through lectures. It happens when people have the chance to step into new roles, make decisions, face challenges, and learn from their mistakes in a safe environment.
Practice offers something traditional learning can’t provide: immediate feedback, a chance to build genuine empathy, and a way to transform both skills and mindsets. It’s through practice that individuals learn to lead, collaborate, and succeed not just in theory, but in the real world.
Through immersive, hands-on practice, and simulation-based learning, Abilitie helps people develop the skills and confidence to lead with impact.
