There are different leadership styles and personal leadership qualities may be needed in different circumstances.

Discover our factsheets and reports on leadership styles and skills, effective leaders, transformational leadership and leading teams. Listen to our podcasts to keep up to date with the latest trends in leadership.

All topics A-Z

Factsheets

Regularly-updated factsheets provide overviews and information on a topic

One Factsheet about Leadership
Factsheet
Leadership in the workplace
The basics of leadership and how to develop leaders in the workplace
For Members

Guides

Designed for practitioners, our guides provide recommendations and advice on how to apply good practice in the workplace.

Two Guides about Leadership
Guide
Supporting your workforce through a crisis event
Key considerations and resources to help you support your people in exceptional times
Guide
HRD to NED: How to advance your career
Advice on planning for and finding your first NED position, and delivering impact in your new role
For Members

Reports

Research and analysis by experts from CIPD and partner organisations

12 Reports about Leadership
Report
DNA of an HR leader: what does it take?
This report, in association with HAYS Recruitment Experts Worldwide, uncovers what it takes to succeed at the top of the HR profession in the GCC
Report
What is purposeful leadership?
Ksenia Zheltoukhova, Research Adviser for the CIPD, unpacks the meaning of purposeful leadership.
Report
Why is purposeful leadership important?
Wilson Wong, Head of Insight and Futures at the CIPD, underscores the importance of this concept.
Report
Purposeful leadership
This report conceptualises a construct of purposeful leadership and investigates the impact it has on various employee and organisational outcomes
Report
What is the qualitative aspect of the study?
Learn more about the research and key findings in this interview with Patrick Brione, Head of Policy and Research, IPA
Report
Inclusive leadership
Research, commissioned by the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei), looks at how organisations understand inclusive leadership
Report
Experiencing trustworthy leadership
Examines how followers experience trustworthy senior leaders within the context of practice, process, actions and behaviours
Report
Tackling the barriers to leadership
An exploration of the systemic barriers to leadership illustrated through case studies
Report
Effective leadership and management in SMEs
Examines what organisational transitions mean for leadership and management in the SME context
Report
Leadership – easier said than done
Explores the capacity of individuals at all levels of an organisation to buy into and lead on the organisational agenda
Report
Cultivating trustworthy leaders
Examines the HR systems and processes in organisations that cultivate trustworthy leaders
Report
Real-life leaders: Closing the knowing-doing gap
Opens the debate on the barriers preventing organisations from getting closer to effective leadership

Case studies

Learn from real world examples of how other people professionals and organisations work with the CIPD to approach key challenges and objectives.

Eight Case studies about Leadership
Case study
Improving diversity in the workplace: Bupa Arabia
A case study on how Bupa Arabia developed a framework for diversity and inclusion following the Bupa Global model, illustrating their commitment to EDI in the workplace
Case study
Advancing your career from HRD to NED: Barry Hoffman
Case study advice on finding the right NED role and understanding your accountability as a board member
Case study
Advancing your career from HRD to NED: Valerie Gordon-Walker
Case study advice on gaining broad experiences to position yourself for a NED position
Case study
Advancing your career from HRD to NED: Simon Linares
Case study advice on deciding whether a NED role is for you and the difference between executive and non-executive roles
Case study
Advancing your career from HRD to NED: Jean Tomlin OBE
Case study advice on finding a NED role that shares your values and how to make an immediate impact
Case study
Advancing your career from HRD to NED: Louise Wilson
Case study advice on understanding the time commitment of a NED role and the skills you need to act as a ‘critical friend’
Case study
Advancing your career from HRD to NED: Lynne Weedall
Case study advice on thinking through your aspirations to become a NED, what you hope to achieve and what value you will bring
Case study
Advancing your career from HRD to NED
A case study series giving advice from senior HR leaders who have successfully moved to non-executive director roles

Thought leadership

Insight and foresight from our experts in people and the world of work

16 Thought leadership about Leadership
Thought leadership
Navigating change with speed and agility is key for the C-suite
Peter Cheese, the CIPD's chief executive, looks at the challenges and opportunities faced by today’s business leaders and the strategic priorities needed to drive future success
Thought leadership
Responsible business: Leading the way
A thought leadership and podcast series exploring how responsible business and leadership have changed since the pandemic
Thought leadership
Building responsible leadership for the future
We discuss how leading through crisis has shaped the way we address new challenges
Thought leadership
The role of responsible business in tackling the climate crisis
Lessons on integrating sustainability into your organisation’s purpose
Thought leadership
Leadership through crisis: Can one person do it all?
We discuss how collaboration and authenticity are key for responsible leaders of the future
Thought leadership
What leading through the pandemic has taught us about trust
We discuss what it takes to create high-trust environments
Thought leadership
What does it mean to be a responsible business in a post-pandemic world?
What has changed in the way we work and lead since COVID-19?
Thought leadership
The new rules of work: How the psychological contract is evolving
We discuss the role leaders play in creating a workplace community
Thought leadership
Has COVID-19 changed responsible business forever?
Will the leadership lessons learnt help with new challenges?
Thought leadership
Ukraine: Leadership lessons for a crisis
What we learned through COVID-19 can support us in current times
Thought leadership
Leadership through COVID-19: How has the pandemic changed leadership for the future?
A recap of senior leaders’ responses to the pandemic in 2020 prompts thinking about the leadership challenges in 2021
Thought leadership
Once-in-a-generation opportunity to build better work
How can the people profession use its position to shape a fairer, more human-centric, post-COVID working world?
Thought leadership
People Profession 2030: why leaders have a pivotal role to play in the future world of work
Discusses how leadership will impact future organisational changes
Thought leadership
Responsible business through crisis
Seven months since lockdown, what have we learnt about responsible business, leadership and trust?
Thought leadership
Coronavirus and the workforce: leading through a crisis
How to build organisational resilience during and beyond COVID-19
Thought leadership
What can we learn from corporate longevity?
What common attributes underpin the success of the most enduring companies from around the world? We examine four of those, as well as a worker co-op, to find out

Podcasts

Listen to episodes from our podcast series on a range of topical workplace, HR and L&D issues.

Two Podcasts about Leadership
Podcast
HR People Pod
The CIPD's fortnightly podcast brings together top HRDs, CPOs and business leaders to look behind the news headlines and current topics impacting HR practices
Podcast
What do you do with broken trust?
Episode 186: As scandals and failed leadership continue to make daily headlines, it is little wonder that trust in organisations may be at an all-time low. Is this something that can be fixed, especially if there have been mistakes?

Webinars

Webinar recordings providing expert guidance

Three Webinars about Leadership
Webinar
Securing long-term leadership commitment
Anti-racism stays on the agenda: Advice and strategies for getting anti-racism onto the board and leadership agenda
Webinar
Creating a pro-inclusive leadership plan
Watch the second webinar in our three-part series as Frank Douglas and Dev Modi discuss how HR leaders can create a more inclusive workplace culture
Webinar
Leading and communicating through crisis
Watch our webinar on how to get your communication right during the coronavirus pandemic

Evidence reviews

Evidence reviews enable you to ask the critical questions and use evidence for better decision-making.

One Evidence review about Leadership
Evidence review
High-performing teams: An evidence review
Explore the latest research on how to create a positive environment to build and nurture effective teams

Bitesize research

Your regular overview of current research, inspiring insights and cutting-edge ideas in bitesize

29 Bitesize research about Leadership
Bitesize research
Role ambiguity can lead to bullying but supportive leadership helps
How might role ambiguity lead to workplace bullying and what is the impact of leadership support in negating this effect?
For Members
Bitesize research
Self-care for leaders to drive health and performance
Good leadership is important for organisational performance and employee outcomes, but what toll does this take on the leader?
For Members
Bitesize research
Leadership gender affects support provided for domestic abuse survivors
Workplace support for survivors of domestic abuse is more likely to be in place where female leaders are in decision-making positions
For Members
Bitesize research
Impact of AI on gender bias in leadership
An investigation on how generative AI tools can impact gender bias in leadership training
For Members
Bitesize research
Designing an effective leader development plan
This research explores the common features of a successful leader development plan
For Members
Bitesize research
The positive impact of quality leadership on employee wellbeing and performance
A look at how leadership can influence wellbeing and productivity to drive performance
For Members
Bitesize research
Gender diversity in leadership
Exploring the benefits of women in leadership and how to improve gender diversity in management
For Members
Bitesize research
Female leadership in higher education institutions
Exploring female leaders’ experiences amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK 
For Members
Bitesize research
Narcissistic leaders in the workplace
What causes narcissism at work and how can we tackle it?
For Members
Bitesize research
Adapting leader mindsets for a changing workplace
Challenging five assumptions about modern working practices
For Members
Bitesize research
Leading by example
The role of strong character in a post pandemic workplace
For Members
Bitesize research
Effective virtual leadership
Technology is important, but it's a strong leader and structure that determine the success of a virtual team
For Members
Bitesize research
Leadership in a crisis during COVID-19
Leadership in a crisis during COVID-19
For Members
Bitesize research
Can CEOs make a difference in large public sector organisations?
Investigating the impact of CEOs in the public sector
For Members
Bitesize research
Ensuring ethnic diversity at the top of organisations
Are FTSE organisations on track to meet their diversity targets?
For Members
Bitesize research
Using ‘leadership’
Is it time to re-think our use of the term ‘leadership’?
For Members
Bitesize research
Ticking a box or valuing difference: leader perspectives on D&I
Explore the factors that influence an approach to D&I at work
For Members
Bitesize research
Diversity at the top
Find out how to develop diverse leadership teams
For Members
Bitesize research
The modern workplace leader
Find out why humility is so important in today’s leaders
For Members
Bitesize research
The benefits of humble leadership
See how ‘letting go’ can help people find meaning
For Members
Bitesize research
Would you still be a leader if it didn’t matter?
Read this exploration of leaders’ motivations
For Members
Bitesize research
Leading by example? Keeping middle managers on board
Read about the importance of supportive leaders
For Members
Bitesize research
How more women can get to the top
Understand what motivates women in top jobs
For Members
Bitesize research
Effective leadership – it’s all in the mind
Gain some insights on different ways of thinking
For Members
Bitesize research
How failure can foster future leaders
Find out how to embrace and learn from failure
For Members
Bitesize research
The role of empathy in being a good leader
Examine the link between empathy and effective leadership
For Members
Bitesize research
Identifying entrepreneurial leaders – challenge the stereotypes
Discover which interview questions to ask to help you identify entrepreneurial leaders
For Members
Bitesize research
Working across cultures – leading the way
Get tips on delivering tailored, cross-cultural leadership training
For Members
Bitesize research
What’s holding back leadership learning?
Organisations need 'fertile soil' for 'seeds' of training intervention to grow
For Members

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Developing Skills for
Business Leadership

Explore the practices of business and leadership skills required for workplace success with this definitive textbook, available at a 20% discount for CIPD members.

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Learning

We offer a range of evidence-based courses tailored to suit you and your needs.
Our Essential Insights courses are free as part of the CIPD membership.

Being an Inclusive Leader Essential Insights

Identify traits of inclusive leadership, belonging and psychological safety to champion I&D and leverage the talent of a diverse team.

Meaningful Work and Organisational Leadership Essential Insights

Define meaningful work and recognise its importance at multiple levels, demonstrating how organisation design and development contributes to performance and job quality.

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Choose from our extensive range of topics and learning options 

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