The average employee becomes a manager at 30—but most won’t receive formal leadership training until age 42. That’s a 12-year gap where managers are expected to lead without the tools, support, or training to do it well. This development gap significantly affects team performance, employee engagement, and retention. So how can organizations develop better managers at scale—especially in high-growth companies? One standout example is Rivian, the fast-growing electric vehicle company that’s found a way to train every leader without slowing down.
Let’s explore how Rivian closes the leadership gap with practical, scalable strategies, and what you can learn from their model to elevate your own leadership development programs.
Focus on Practical, Foundational Leadership Skills
At the heart of Rivian’s leadership training strategy is simplicity and applicability. As Leadership Development Lead James Holdren explains, every skill taught must be something leaders can immediately use. That means focusing on like emotional intelligence (EQ), coaching, and communication—skills that matter across roles and levels.
Rather than overwhelming new leaders with countless models and frameworks, Rivian encourages participants to internalize the feeling behind the skill. For example, instead of memorizing the GROW coaching model, leaders are asked to remember what it feels like to hold back advice and ask the right question. This emotional hook makes learning stick—and improves how leaders show up for their teams in real moments.
Make Leadership Development Part of the Employee Journey
To ensure consistency, Rivian embeds leadership development into its entire talent lifecycle. Training is designed to be tiered and progressive: you can’t access higher-level programs until you’ve completed the level below. Every participant must also complete a behavioral assessment before entering the program—this sets a clear baseline and enables precise, measurable growth.
Additionally, the development team works closely with talent management to ensure training aligns with hiring, performance management, and promotion processes. This tight integration makes leadership growth feel like a natural part of the job, not an optional extra. It's a system that ensures leaders grow as the company grows—with clarity, accountability, and support at every level.
Use Behavioral Data to Prove Real Impact
Many leadership programs struggle to prove ROI. Rivian solves this by focusing on behavioral data rather than vanity metrics. Instead of just tracking attendance or survey ratings, Rivian measures whether trained managers are improving in areas like giving feedback or coaching. This data-backed approach builds trust with executives and keeps leadership development aligned with business outcomes.
Holdren’s team also works to personalize this data to each department. What “better management” looks like in one function might differ in another, so targeted follow-ups and interventions are key. The result is not only a better-trained leadership team—but one that drives measurable, consistent impact across the business.
Build a Culture That Promises ‘Better Managers’
Perhaps the most powerful part of Rivian’s leadership strategy is its clear, memorable message: “We’re giving our employees better managers.” This north star aligns leaders, executives, and HR teams around a common goal that everyone understands and values. By tying development directly to employee experience, Rivian ensures its training efforts are felt—not just in dashboards, but in day-to-day work life.
As Rivian continues its rapid growth, their model offers a blueprint for any organization that wants to scale leadership without compromising quality. Focus on practical skills, tie training to talent systems, and prove results with real behavior change. That’s how you develop better managers—at scale.
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