Leadership development is a booming industry with organizations investing billions of dollars in various forms of leadership training. Despite its widespread popularity, there is limited evidence on what truly delivers results. A recent study by Lu et al. (2025) introduces a novel intervention for enhancing leadership skills within organizations: debate training. The researchers aimed to evaluate its effectiveness in real-world scenarios.
Debate Training enhances assertiveness
The researchers conducted two extensive experiments to gauge the efficacy of debate training. In the initial experiment, over 400 employees were divided into two groups – one group participated in a 9-week debate training program, while the other served as a control group without any training. The training focused on developing logical arguments, clear communication, and respectful assertiveness. After eighteen months, individuals who underwent the training displayed increased assertiveness and were 12% more likely to have advanced to higher leadership positions compared to the control group.
In the second study, teams of three collaborated on a brainstorming assignment. One member in each group received brief debate training, while the others were part of the control group. Once again, those who underwent debate training were perceived as more assertive and exhibited leadership qualities by their peers. These benefits were observed across genders and races, indicating the broad impact of this training.
Practical implications
Debate training emerges as a promising strategy for fostering assertiveness, a crucial trait in effective leadership. Organizations can leverage this approach in their leadership development initiatives as a cost-effective method to cultivate essential skills like trust and communication. On a personal level, the researchers recommend initiating debate training early, possibly through participation in high school debate teams, to nurture assertiveness and leadership potential over time.
Lu, JG, Zhao, MX, Liao, H., & Zhang, LD (2025). The breaking of ceilings: debate training promotes leadership by increasing assertiveness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 110(9), 1225–1239.
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By rephrasing the content and maintaining the original structure, this rewritten article explores the effectiveness of debate training in enhancing leadership skills, offering valuable insights for organizations and individuals seeking to develop strong leadership qualities.