Deliberate practice ― 9 steps to leadership excellence

“Excellence demands effort and planned,
deliberate practice of increasing difficulty”

― Anders Ericsson

What is deliberate practice?

Grounded in decades of research, including the insights shared by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool in their book “Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise”, unlike routine or mindless practice, deliberate practice is a structured, focused approach designed to refine performance through targeted activities, expert feedback and constant challenge.

Why it is essential for leadership mastery

1. Overcoming learned helplessness

Learned helplessness is a state where individuals believe they have no control over outcome and that can paralyze decision-making and obstruct innovation.

The notion that leaders are born with natural talent is outdated. As demonstrated in Harvard Business Review’s article, The Making of an Expert, leadership is a learnable skill achieved through intentional, structured practice.

Just as musicians and athletes refine their craft through dedicated practice, leaders can develop their abilities by breaking down daunting challenges into small, achievable tasks.

This structured approach builds confidence through incremental success, transforming obstacles into opportunities for growth.

Insights from both Anders Ericsson’s research and leadership development literature support that targeted practice helps overcome self-doubt and fosters empowerment.

2. Addressing common real-life leadership challenges

Every leader faces moments of uncertainty, conflict and high-pressure decision-making.

Deliberate practice allows leaders to simulate challenging scenarios, such as difficult conversations or high-stakes decision-making in a safe environment.

This preparation not only refines their responses but also builds resilience, ensuring they are better equipped to handle real-world challenges when they arise.

3. Encouraging continuous growth

Leadership mastery is a journey, not a destination. The best leaders commit to lifelong learning, lead by example and consistently identify areas for improvement.

This philosophy is deeply aligned with the principles of deliberate practice and the cultivation of a growth mindset.

Its impact on our trainer’s journey

Reflecting on our trainer’s journey, his childhood experience as a basketball point guard played a pivotal role in shaping his approach to leadership and personal growth.

As the point guard, he was accountable for orchestrating plays, reading the game in real time and motivating his teammates. It was an accountability that demanded both physical excellence and mental resilience.

To succeed, he had to step up his physical game through relentless drills and conditioning while simultaneously sharpening his mental game by analyzing strategies, learning from mistakes and staying calm under pressure.

This experience added another layer to the foundation of a Growth mindset. Each missed shot or turnover wasn’t a failure but an opportunity to learn and improve. Whether it was refining his passing accuracy or developing better court vision, he embraced challenges as stepping stones to becoming a better player and leader.

The lessons he learned on the court—accountability, discipline, focus, adaptability and the importance of feedback—are the same principles that now guide him in his leadership journey.

His favorite quote from Michael Jordan resonates deeply with the Growth mindset.

Just as he worked daily to earn his place as a leader on the basketball court, he now strives to earn it in every professional interaction.

Leadership isn’t a title or position; it’s an ongoing process of growth and self-improvement.

By embracing deliberate practice, leaders can foster a Growth mindset — turning setbacks into learning opportunities and continuously pushing the boundaries of their capabilities.

The commitment to deliberate practice ensures that we keep evolving, refining our skills and earning our leadership every single day.

How leaders can apply deliberate practice

Incorporating the scientifically grounded principles of deliberate practice into leadership development requires a structured and intentional approach.

Leaders can follow these actionable steps to enhance their leadership skills toward excellence:

1. Set specific and well-defined goals

• Define clear, measurable objectives that target specific leadership skills. For example:
  • Improve active listening during team meetings.
  • Enhance conflict resolution strategies in high-pressure situations.
  • Deliver more engaging and impactful presentations.
• Break down complex leadership tasks into smaller, manageable components to focus on one skill at a time.
  • Each component is designed to target a particular aspect of performance, ensuring focused improvement rather than general activity.

2. Create safe and structured practice environments

• Design low-stakes opportunities to experiment with new leadership behaviors:
  • Role-playing exercises simulating real-world challenges.
  • Leading small projects or temporary teams to practice decision-making and delegation.
  • Using simulations or case studies to rehearse responses to difficult scenarios.
• Ensure these environments allow for mistakes, framing them as valuable learning opportunities.

3. Seek immediate and constructive feedback

• Feedback is critical for identifying errors and guiding improvement.
• Partner with trusted mentors or coaches who can provide honest, actionable feedback tailored to your specific goals.
• Feedback also involves self-reflection, comparing your current performance against an ideal model.
• Use tools like video recordings of presentations or events to self-assess performance against desired outcomes.
• Incorporate feedback loops into your practice sessions to identify weaknesses and refine your approach in real time to avoid ingraining bad habits.

4. Push beyond your comfort zone

• Deliberate practice requires individuals to consistently operate just beyond their current skill level. This “stretch zone” challenges them to address weaknesses and develop new capabilities.
• Consistently challenge yourself with tasks that stretch your current abilities:
  • Lead cross-functional teams where you must navigate diverse perspectives.
  • Tackle difficult conversations, such as delivering constructive feedback or resolving interpersonal conflicts.
  • Take on strategic initiatives that require innovative thinking and risk-taking.
• The difficulty of the tasks should be carefully calibrated to be challenging enough to require focused effort but achievable with persistence, avoiding both frustration and complacency.

5. Commit to repetition with refinement

• Repetition is not about mindless practice. Regularly practice key leadership skills, ensuring each session builds on the last.
• For instance, refine your public speaking skills by practicing specific aspects repeatedly until they become second nature.
• Incorporate feedback after each attempt and adjust your approach for continuous improvement.
• Emphasize quality over quantity. Deliberate practice is about thoughtful repetition, not mindless effort.

6. Leverage guidance from a qualified teacher or coach

• A defining feature of deliberate practice is the involvement of qualified teacher or coach who can:
  • Help diagnose specific areas for improvement.
  • Design structured exercises tailored to your developmental needs.
  • Provide insights into advanced leadership techniques and strategies.
• The teacher or coach ensures that progress aligns with long-term goals.

7. Develop mental representations

• Deliberate practice develops “mental representations” which are internalized models that help experts analyze and execute tasks more effectively.
• Build detailed mental representations of effective leadership behaviors by observing skilled leaders and analyzing their methods.
• For example, study how great leaders handle crises or inspire teams during challenging times.
• Use these mental representations as benchmarks for your own performance, refining them through deliberate practice.

8. Maintain full focus and concentration during practice

• Approach each practice session with full mental engagement:
  • Avoid multitasking or distractions. Focus entirely on the skill you are working to improve.
  • Reflect deeply on your performance after each session to identify areas for growth.

9. Progressively increase challenges

• As you master foundational skills, introduce more complex tasks:
  • Shift from managing small teams to leading larger groups or entire departments.
  • Transition from operational problem-solving to strategic decision-making at the organizational level.

The benefits of deliberate practice for leadership

By aligning leadership development with the core principles of deliberate practice, leaders can achieve transformative growth and unlock several key benefits:

1. Enhanced decision-making through specific goals

• By targeting decision-making as a specific skill, leaders can repeatedly practice using structured frameworks in controlled environments.
• This focused approach builds mental representations that enable leaders to process complex information, weigh trade-offs and make confident decisions under pressure.

2. Stronger communication skills with immediate feedback

• Practicing active listening, clear messaging and persuasive storytelling while receiving constructive feedback helps leaders refine their communication style.
• Feedback loops allow leaders to adjust their tone, delivery and content in real time, fostering trust and improving collaboration across teams.

3. Increased adaptability by pushing beyond comfort zones

• Simulating high-pressure scenarios, such as resolving conflicts or navigating crises, challenges leaders to operate outside their comfort zones.
• These experiences prepare leaders to remain calm and effective in unpredictable real-world situations, enhancing their ability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances.

4. Sustainable growth through repetition and refinement

• Consistent practice of leadership skills, such as facilitating events, managing stakeholder expectations or delivering feedback, ensures that these abilities become second nature over time.
• By iteratively refining techniques based on feedback and reflection, leaders achieve lasting improvements that position them for long-term success.

5. Development of mental representations

• Deliberate practice helps leaders build detailed internal models of effective leadership behaviors.
• These mental representations allow leaders to approach challenges strategically and respond with precision.

6. Lifelong learning and a Growth mindset

• Deliberate practice fosters a mindset of continuous improvement by turning setbacks into learning opportunities. Leaders who embrace this mindset consistently push their boundaries and seek ways to evolve.
• The commitment to personal and professional growth ensures that leadership excellence is not a static achievement but an ongoing journey.

Real-life example — A software Product leader’s journey through deliberate practice

Consider Alex, a mid-level Product Owner at a growing tech company, who aspired to evolve into a strong product leader.

Facing challenges such as aligning cross-functional teams, managing stakeholder expectations, and refining the product roadmap, Alex embraced the principles of deliberate practice to systematically transform his leadership approach.

Alex’s journey — Step by step

1. Setting specific and well-defined goals

Alex began by identifying precise areas for improvement:

• Enhancing communication during Sprint Planning.
• Streamlining the product development process.
• Managing scope creep effectively.

By breaking these broad challenges into specific, measurable goals, such as “Improve team alignment during Sprint Planning by reducing delays caused by miscommunication errors by 20%” Alex created a clear step toward his leadership growth.

2. Creating safe and structured practice environments

To refine his skills without risking real-world repercussions:

• Alex initiated mock product review sessions with colleagues, where he practiced presenting product roadmaps and addressing tough stakeholder questions.
• In the internal company’s community of practice, he also organized simulations designed to mimic high-stakes scenarios, such as resolving conflicts between different product stakeholders.

These controlled environments allowed Alex to experiment with different approaches and learn from mistakes in a low-stress setting.

3. Seeking immediate and constructive feedback

Recognizing the importance of feedback, Alex sought input after every practice session:

• He debriefed with mentors, peers and even team members to gather honest, actionable insights on his performance.
• For example, after a stakeholders’ meeting, his mentor pointed out areas where he could simplify technical explanations for non-technical audiences.

This real-time feedback enabled Alex to make targeted adjustments to his communication style and decision-making processes.

4. Pushing beyond comfort zones

Alex consistently challenged himself with tasks that stretched his abilities:

• He volunteered to lead high-stakes cross-functional initiatives where he had to navigate competing priorities between teams.
• He also practiced handling difficult conversations with stakeholders by role-playing scenarios that required delivering constructive criticism or negotiating deadlines.

These experiences forced Alex to confront weaknesses in his leadership style while building resilience and adaptability.

5. Committing to repetition with refinement

Alex established a routine of continuous practice:

• He regularly rehearsed key leadership tasks, such as facilitating Sprint Planning events or presenting quarterly updates to executives.
• After each session, he incorporated feedback and refined his approach.
• For example, he iteratively improved how he communicated trade-offs on Product Backlog items until it became second nature.

Through consistent repetition paired with reflection and refinement, Alex gradually developed confidence and mastery in his leadership skills.

6. Leveraging expert guidance

Alex worked closely with an experienced mentor who helped design tailored practice exercises:

• The mentor guided him in breaking down complex challenges into manageable components.
• They also modeled effective leadership behaviors, giving Alex mental representations of what success looked like in areas like conflict resolution or strategic decision-making.

This expert guidance ensured that Alex’s practice was aligned with proven strategies for leadership excellence.

7. Developing mental representations

Over time, Alex built detailed mental models of effective leadership behaviors:

• For example, he developed a framework for navigating stakeholder conflicts by anticipating objections and preparing clear solutions in advance.
• These mental representations allowed him to approach challenges more strategically and respond effectively under pressure.

Takeaways — Achieving leadership excellence

Through deliberate practice, Alex achieved measurable improvements:

• His team became more aligned during Sprint Planning events, reducing delays caused by miscommunication errors by at least 20%.
• Product launches were executed more smoothly due to better coordination across departments.
• Stakeholder feedback became increasingly positive as Alex refined how he communicated trade-offs and progress updates.

Alex’s journey illustrates how applying the principles of deliberate practice—specific goals, structured environments, immediate feedback, pushing beyond comfort zones, repetition with refinement, expert guidance, and mental representations—can transform potential into true leadership excellence.

Conclusion

Leadership mastery is not an exclusive gift reserved for the naturally talented. Deliberate practice transforms leadership development into a systematic process of continuous improvement.

By focusing on specific goals, seeking immediate feedback, pushing beyond comfort zones, and refining skills through repetition, leaders ensure that every effort contributes meaningfully to becoming exceptional in their roles.

It is this intentionality that enables sustainable growth and positions leaders for enduring success in an ever-changing world.

As you reflect on your leadership journey, ask yourself:

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