Global Productivity Choked by Limitations of Leadership Development Training - Award-Winning Authority Presents Solutions

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA, Thursday, 26 February 2026 — With global productivity buckling under low manager and employee engagement, award-winning leadership development veteran Ian Hatton will analyse the root causes and evidence-based solutions in a public discussion.   

The global economy is facing a critical loss in productivity costing as much as US$438 billion per year, according to the latest Gallup State of the Global Workplace Report. The report cites the lack of workplace engagement as a direct cause, with only  27% of managers and 23% of employees overall saying they were fully engaged at work. Meanwhile, only 44% of managers worldwide claimed they had received appropriate training. Accordingly, all three key recommendations of the Gallup report point to leadership development as a solution.

However, organisations globally have been cutting back on their training budgets. This is in part to reduce costs, but also as a response to their experience of leadership development that did not deliver measurable results.

Award-winning leadership development veteran Ian Hatton of Totally Morpheus has responded to this twin challenge to present solutions in a public discussion. Drawing on research, industry knowledge and concrete evidence, Hatton and his team have been working to address the limitations of traditional and online training for leaders. The aim is to support productivity and performance at organisation, team and individual levels with solutions that deliver reliable results. 

Hatton and his research partner Marie Le Roux draw on statistics like Gallup’s to show that while budget cuts intend to save money, they result in significant losses over time. Hampered leadership competence and confidence erode engagement for managers and their people, they say, crippling productivity and growth.

As the Gallup report warns, with 70%  of team engagement reportedly depending solely on leadership,  “(i)f manager engagement continues to decline… (t)he productivity of the world’s workplace is at risk.” This drives the report’s recommendation of leadership development as a key solution organisations should implement.

Hatton concedes, however, that organisations are not entirely to blame. In a recent article, he listed documented limitations of both traditional and online leadership development options. These include a lack of planning for integration and meaningful follow-up, over-reliance on training materials and events (whether online or off), limited peer community support and a lack of practical, supported application.

To help leaders and decision makers address this crisis, Hatton will deliver their findings  in a provocative public discussion entitled "Why Leadership Development Training Doesn't Work (And What Does): How Leaders Unlock Productivity and Performance”.

“We live in a world that is crying out for better leadership,” Hatton has stated. “A new way of leading that will allow us to transcend all the rules and be very successful growing our people and growing our results. There is no time to lose.”

During this discussion, Hatton will dissect the findings on the limits of leadership development, the evidence of what works and the steps organisations and leaders can take to ensure their leadership development decisions drive real results.

Event Details

• Title: Why Leadership Development Training Doesn't Work (And what does)
• Date: Tuesday, 10 March 2026
• Time: 12h00 CAT (10h00 UTC)
• Location: Online via Zoom (Link provided upon registration)
• Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ATe_VxLJT0GD4dxziamuQA

Attendees will receive access to resources providing a no-cost, high-value strategic diagnostic they can use and share with their leaders and teams right away.

About Totally Morpheus: Totally Morpheus is a leadership development provider dedicated to liberating leadership globally through its network of facilitators. Founder Ian Hatton has worked with thousands of leaders from over 107 countries for more than two decades. The Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa inducted Ian Hatton into its Educators Hall of Fame for his contribution to his field.

Media Contact: Marie Le Roux, Communication Strategist, YaziMedia Communication, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.yazimedia.co.za