The Leadership Design Canvas — Map Your Development Strategy
Why Most Leadership Strategies Miss the Mark
Leadership development often happens in silos — with different teams running separate programs, budgets spread thin, and no clear picture of where gaps actually are.
Without a big-picture view, it’s easy to over-invest in some areas and under-support others.
Enter the Leadership Design Canvas
The Leadership Design Canvas is a simple, one-page tool that helps you:
Identify common leadership challenges at each level (emerging, mid-level, senior).
Match support types to needs — mentoring, coaching, workshops, peer learning.
Compare cost vs. impact so you can allocate your budget where it matters most.
How to Use It
Download the canvas — divide it by leader level.
List challenges for each level, using feedback and performance data.
Map support types to each challenge.
Review costs and reach — look for areas where scalable support could replace expensive one-to-one options.
Decide what to start, stop, or scale for maximum impact.
A Real-World Example
One L&D leader in the energy sector used the canvas to reveal they were over-spending on coaching for senior leaders while new managers received little structured support. By reallocating budget to on-demand leadership support for emerging leaders, they improved engagement scores and succession readiness within months.
Takeaway
Clarity drives smarter decisions. With the Leadership Design Canvas, you can see exactly where to invest for the biggest impact.
Want a walkthrough of how it could work in your organisation? Book a call with our team and we’ll send it to you.
