Tech leaders require more than technical vision. They need human-centered support to guide their teams, influence without ego, and thrive amid pressure. This is where learning and development (L&D) becomes a game-changer for individuals and business.
Below, we unpack the 10 major pain points faced by tech leadership L&D leads and demonstrate how Korn Ferry’s Leadership Development solutions help address each challenge.
Handling the Steep Learning Curve in Tech
In tech, priorities shift fast. Each sprint or release can change what teams are working on, where resources go, and which problems matter most.
Leaders are expected to make decisions quickly, often with limited information and in environments full of change. Yet many of these leaders have risen through the ranks on technical performance or talent and not been taught how to lead through ambiguity or build trust across hybrid, distributed teams.
Managing teams, working through conflict, and building trust across departments requires more than technical knowledge. It takes a foundation in core leadership skills like coaching, feedback, influence, emotional intelligence, and cross-functional communication. Adding to the challenge, the remote onboarding process common in the tech industry makes it harder for new leaders to build trust, feel part of the culture, and form real connections. From behind a screen, it’s easy to feel isolated and harder to earn credibility with new teams.
Making the Business Case for Tech L&D
Investing in leadership development is a strategic advantage, but it often gets deprioritized by business leaders in favor of shipping features. Taking this short-term view can cost you. Weak leadership slows teams down, increases rework, and drives top talent out the door. In contrast, strong leadership leads to increased productivity and retention of your best workers.
Organizations that prioritize learning and development can tie those efforts to measurable business outcomes such as faster release cadences, improved product quality, and greater customer satisfaction.
When tech leaders are developed with intention, they are more likely to stay, grow, and drive value across the company.
Korn Ferry Tip:
Tie leadership growth to engineering performance metrics such as cycle time, team health scores, and quality. When leaders are skilled in coaching, conflict resolution, and decision-making under pressure, velocity improves across the board.
Redefining What It Means to Lead in Tech
Many engineers don’t see leadership as part of their role. Often, leadership is presented as something separate from the technical work they enjoy, like solving problems, building systems, and shipping code.
But leading in today’s tech environment involves influencing across teams, solving problems at the system level, and building trust to drive collaboration. These are all skills engineers can develop and use to increase their impact.
When leadership is defined this way, it becomes more relevant to technical professionals. It’s not about leaving engineering behind. It’s about using their strengths to shape outcomes, guide teams, and contribute to the bigger picture.
To succeed, organizations need to treat these leadership capabilities as core to product delivery and strategic growth rather than framing them as optional soft skills.
Korn Ferry Tip:
At Korn Ferry, our approach is to develop Success Profiles that define the skillset and mindset needed to deliver greatness, with benchmarks to measure your talent. We describe the skills, experiences, competencies, and traits successful leaders should possess. Once your Success Profiles are built, then we work with you on assessing against them, and developing what you need to succeed.
6Redesigning Learning for the Way Developers Work
Many traditional training programs, especially long, structured workshops, fall flat for developers. Those workshops often feel disconnected from real work, too rigid, or too slow to keep up with evolving tools and frameworks.
Developers thrive in fast-paced, iterative environments. They’re used to testing, tweaking, and learning in the flow of work. Learning experiences should reflect this practical, hands-on, and modular approach.
Design sprints, mentorship sessions, and code clinics resonate more than traditional structured workshops. Customizing the format and cadence of learning to developer workstyles ensures better engagement and higher impact. The best learning journeys feel like part of the work itself, and they offer a rewarding experience that keeps teams energized.
Korn Ferry Tip:
Design learning to match developer behaviors. Think: peer-led code reviews with a leadership lens, sprint retros focused on psychological safety, or quick “leadership sprints” embedded into agile cycles. The more natural it feels, the more likely it is to stick.
Building a Culture That Supports Diverse Learning Paths
A one-size-fits-all approach to learning doesn’t work, especially in tech. Product teams often bring together neurodiverse thinkers, early-career coders, deep introverts, and highly collaborative designers. Each learns, communicates, and processes information differently.
To help everyone thrive, learning needs to be flexible, accessible, and tailored to a variety of working styles. That might mean offering asynchronous options, using visual and hands-on formats, or creating quieter spaces for reflection and problem-solving.
In an industry that runs on innovation, inclusive learning is a competitive advantage.
Korn Ferry Tip:
Offer a blend of modalities: sandbox environments for experimentation, 1:1 coaching for deep work, and microlearning for just-in-time needs. Normalize different paths to growth and ensure every learner sees themselves reflected in your leadership development journey.
