Train to Thrive, Not Just Retain: Rethinking the True Cost of Competency Building
- Sukanta
- Jun 29
- 4 min read
"The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.”
– Ralph Nader. (American lawyer and political activist involved in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes.)
The other day, I overheard a remark in a discussion that struck a discordant note: “When the organizations offer employee training for competency development at no cost, employees should take it after work hours or on weekends—maybe even Sunday afternoons—so that productivity doesn't suffer.”
On the surface, it sounds like fiscal farsightedness. Dig deeper, and it reveals a philosophy starkly at odds with enduring leadership principles, peel back the layers, and it reveals a deeply flawed understanding of modern leadership, people development, and the psychology of engagement.
Will it not be prudent to state that: the primary and most key responsibility of any leader is to build and groom future leaders faster than the competition can poach them?
Competency development is not a cost—it’s an investment, often the most vital one in any growth-focused organization.
Chanakya once said: “Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions – Why am I doing it, What the results might be, and Will I be successful? Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.”
This advice is timeless. If we pause and reflect, we’ll realize that viewing training & development as a cost rather than a leadership responsibility may offer immediate efficiency but harm long-term capability.
The Leadership Paradox:
Leaders are most expected to prioritize work-life balance, drive employee well-being, and develop high-performing teams. But when learning is pushed to weekends or evenings, won't it disrupt personal lives, reinforce transactional expectations, and lead to disengagement? I'd like to know more importantly, will any impactful learning happen ?
“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius.
True leaders don’t just protect productivity—they enable potential. They understand that building capability is not time lost; it's future gained.
The “What If They Leave?” Trap
This outdated fear still grips many leaders: “What if we train them and they leave us and even more risky – join our business competitors?”
Sir Richard Branson captured it perfectly: “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't.” This aligns with the Stoic focus on what's in our control: providing excellent training and fostering a virtuous environment. Whether someone stays or leaves is ultimately external; our commitment to their growth is internal.
Apprehension-driven leadership is regressive leadership. High-potential people stay when they grow and when they can add value to their work. They leave when they see leadership blind spots, indecisions and stagnation.
“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.” – Epictetus.
The fear of attrition, productivity loss, or training ROI must not cloud our view of what truly matters: building human capital that powers business growth.
Chanakya says: “There is no austerity equal to a balanced mind, and there is no happiness equal to contentment.”
A balanced leader recognizes that retention comes not from constraints but from a growth mindset, continual capability building and meaningful engagement.
Can we therefore look at some possible Way Forward?
Here are pragmatic options—supported by industry use cases—to navigate this leadership dilemma and truly embed learning in the business's DNA.
1. Integrate Learning into Workflows
Case in point: Google’s 20% Rule Employees dedicate 20% of their time to learning, innovation, or side projects. Gmail, AdSense, and Google Maps emerged from this practice.
· Action: Allocate structured hours monthly for development. Let learning be a rhythm—not a disruption.
2. Adopt Microlearning and Just-In-Time Upskilling
Case: Unilever’s ‘Flex Experiences’ platform offers employees micro-projects and learning modules aligned with business goals.
· Action: Use LMS platforms that deliver 10-minute lessons integrated into daily work tools.
3. Tie Learning to Performance and Growth Paths
Case: Adobe integrates learning outcomes into its continuous performance system.
· Action: Make learning visible in dashboards, goal plans, and appraisals.
4. Build Succession Pipelines Through Intentional Development
Case: GE's Crotonville focused on succession building through structured development for over half a century.
· Action: Don’t wait for retention certainty—train now to prepare tomorrow’s leaders internally.
5. Enable Flexibility in Learning Formats
Let employees co-create their learning timelines with asynchronous and on-demand content.
· Action: Create a learning culture of choice, not compulsion.
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is about growing others.” – Jack Welch
In today’s volatile, tech-driven global economy, where skills are the new currency and agility is the new stability, the question is - “How fast, how smart, and how meaningfully can we train to transform potential into performance?”
Investing in your team's skills during work hours isn't a cost centre; it's a strategic imperative. It builds loyalty, capability, and resilience. In today's world, the question isn't should we train. It's how fast, how wisely, and how deeply learning can be embedded into our culture to unlock potential and drive performance.
Let's champion learning as an indispensable part of work, not some after-work nice-to-have activity.
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