Employee engagement is a critical factor in organizational success, but leaders across industries...
Leadership Development Trends and Spend Insights
Key Takeaway
Velocity Advisory Group’s December 2025 Leadership Spend Survey reinforces two important realities: leadership investment is growing, and many organizations are still figuring out what comes next. As organizations head into 2026, the opportunity isn’t just to spend more: it’s to spend smarter, with greater clarity on outcomes, ownership, and impact.
A Closer Look at 2025 Spending
The survey offers a clear snapshot of how organizations are investing in leadership development and executive coaching, as well as what may be coming next. The results show increased spending in 2025, alongside continued uncertainty about what leadership investment will look like in 2026.
Across leadership development budgets in 2025, organizations reported a wide range of investment levels. One-third (33%) spent between $0–$50K, while 14% spent $50K–$100K, and 17% spent $100K+. Another 36% reported spending in an “other” category, reflecting the variety of ways organizations define and allocate leadership development budgets.
Executive coaching investment followed a similar pattern, with most organizations reporting relatively modest spend, but with substantial variation across respondents. In 2025, 30% spent $0–$50K, 15% spent $50K–$100K, and 8% spent $100K+, while 47% fell into the “other” category.
One of the most notable findings from the survey is the overall growth in spending year over year. 60% of organizations said they spent more in 2025 than in 2024, suggesting leadership investment remains a priority even amid shifting business conditions.
Looking Ahead at 2026
Even with many organizations increasing investment in 2025, the outlook for 2026 is less defined. Only 33% said they plan to spend more in 2026 than 2025, while a majority (57%) reported they don’t know yet — highlighting how many companies are still evaluating what their leadership strategy needs to be in the year ahead.
Check out the full results in the infographic below.
