Not everything that sounds good in leadership development is supported by evidence. And not everything supported by evidence gets used in leadership development.
That disconnect reflects a challenge: how do we ensure leadership programs are both evidence-based and practical enough to succeed in real organizational environments?
At the 2026 Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Annual Conference in New Orleans, Joyntly Co-Founder Sam Paustian-Underdahl, PhD moderated a panel on bridging the divide between leadership science and leadership development practice.
She was joined by Joyntly CEO Kate Frear, PhD, SHRM-SCP, along with George Banks, Kristin Cullen-Lester, Andy Loignon, and Richard Louie, SPHR. Together, the panel explored how researchers and practitioners can work more closely to create leadership development that is both evidence-based and useful in the realities of organizational life.
Several themes stood out.
First, leadership development needs to remain grounded in the real challenges leaders and organizations face. Even the strongest research-based ideas need to translate into practical, relevant actions leaders can use amid competing priorities and day-to-day demands.
Second, trusted relationships and conversations often drive adoption more than formal lists of “best practices.” Meaningful collaboration requires researchers and practitioners to listen to one another, share context, and develop solutions together.
Finally, the field is showing encouraging momentum. Researchers and practitioners are increasingly looking for ways to connect rigorous evidence with practical application—and to make leadership development more accessible, engaging, and effective.
The divide between leadership science and practice is not simply a knowledge gap. It is also a connection gap.
To help foster those connections, Joyntly was honored to sponsor and host a SIOP reception that brought together scientists and practitioners to exchange ideas, perspectives, and experiences. We were grateful to everyone who joined the conversation.
We left SIOP energized by the possibilities ahead—and already thinking about how to continue and expand this discussion at next year’s conference.
