The winners of the 2026 Leadership Development Awards were announced during HR.com's Future of Coaching and Mentoring for Leadership Virtual Event on March 4. The awards honor outstanding achievements in developing employees through coaching, mentoring, and training initiatives. This year’s award recipients showcase outstanding solutions, programs, and individuals who are strengthening leadership and building more effective leadership pipelines. They demonstrate innovation, excellence, and a steadfast commitment to developing people and growing organizational success.
The Leadership Development Solution Award went to American Management Association for its program titled “From Expertise to Influence: A Sustained Leadership Development Journey for Emerging Leaders.” This program goes beyond traditional leadership training by guiding high-performing contributors into influential leaders. Through sustained learning, real-world scenarios, and skill-building in strategy, presence, and influence, AMA develops leaders who inspire, drive performance, and deliver measurable organizational impact.
Clarion Events – North America received the Best Leadership Development Program award for setting the standard in leadership development. This enterprise-level, scalable program aligns with business strategy, driving measurable behavior change, leadership readiness, and internal capabilities. Innovative and strategic, it positions leadership development as a true growth lever, not just a training initiative.
The Leadership Development HR Visionary Award was presented to Anna Jeffries of La Fosse for developing the Lead the Future program. This program blends leadership theory with experiential learning, peer coaching, and real-world application. Its three-pillar framework boosts self-leadership, team leadership, and strategic impact, driving measurable gains in engagement, retention, and organizational culture. Additional information about all award winners can be found at www.hr.com/awards.
HR.com CEO Debbie McGrath emphasized the significance of these awards, stating, “These award winners are redefining leadership development. They use forward-thinking strategies and creative approaches to cultivate the next generation of leaders and drive meaningful organizational impact.” The recognition of these programs matters because they represent a shift from viewing leadership development as a peripheral training activity to treating it as a core strategic function that directly contributes to business growth and sustainability. These award-winning approaches demonstrate that effective leadership development requires sustained investment, alignment with organizational goals, and measurable outcomes that extend beyond individual skill acquisition to influence team performance and organizational culture.
The implications of these awards extend to the broader human resources and organizational development fields, highlighting best practices that other organizations can emulate. By showcasing programs that successfully bridge the gap between leadership theory and practical application, these awards provide valuable models for developing leadership pipelines in an era of rapid change and talent competition. The emphasis on measurable impact underscores the growing expectation that leadership development initiatives must demonstrate clear return on investment through improved engagement, retention, and organizational performance metrics.
