Target

Jamilla Greely

Employee Experience Advocate

From Programs to Pathways

In a world defined by constant disruption, accelerating technology and rising human expectations, leaders are expected to deliver results amid unprecedented complexity and change while building trust, developing talent and guiding teams through continual transformation. This evolution makes leadership development more critical than ever. It is no longer a stand-alone learning activity, but a business imperative that helps organizations build the capabilities needed to adapt, grow and perform in a complex world.

Leaders develop over time through meaningful experiences, targeted learning and opportunities to grow and apply new capabilities in real business contexts. Organizations need to design personalized pathways that support leaders at different stages of growth.

At Target, team members have access to a range of opportunities and resources to help them grow. Whether they are looking to build new skills, explore different career paths or advance within the company, we have built a robust portfolio of career development programs to support their journey and help them create a future they are excited about. For example, our Prepare for Next program is designed for our field team to help frontline team members enhance leadership skills and accelerate advancement to new roles. We also offer a company-wide leadership development initiative, New Leader @ Target, to support members who are new to leading at Target at any stage in their career.

Business-Driven Design

In my experience building learning pathways across roles, business leaders are far more likely to support development when it is clearly relevant to their work and tied to business priorities. When development is positioned as a driver of business outcomes, not just a learning initiative, it is much more likely to gain the buy-in needed to become a shared enterprise commitment.

This is how we approach Target’s Store Director Development Program (SDDP). The program was built by store directors for store directors, equipping leaders for today’s dynamic retail environment. This six-month experience ensures dedicated, protected time that combines in-person workshops, guided peer groups and on-the-job practice to strengthen core leadership skills and drive real-world application.

"Leaders develop over time through meaningful experiences, targeted learning and opportunities to grow and apply new capabilities in real business contexts."

Programs like SDDP reflect a broader shift toward immersive learning, where leaders build stronger business acumen and systems thinking through experiences that deepen their understanding of how organizations operate as interconnected enterprises. These types of experiences help leaders connect strategy to execution, navigate cross-functional challenges and understand how decisions in one area shape outcomes in another.

Shared Leadership Ownership

Leadership development cannot be owned solely by HR or learning teams. Strong leadership pipelines are built when senior leaders actively participate in developing talent through coaching, sponsorship and meaningful performance conversations. Development is far more powerful when embedded in the day-to-day work of leadership rather than treated as a separate initiative.

It is important to make development both accessible and personalized. Employees are increasingly expecting accessible and personalized learning experiences that are relevant to their goals, flexible in delivery and clearly connected to growth opportunities. This requires organizations to think beyond traditional classroom learning and design broader ecosystems that include peer learning, stretch assignments, mentoring and skills-based development.

Leadership development in the age of technology must balance performance with humanity. Organizations need leaders who can deliver results, but employees also expect leaders who build trust, foster belonging and support well-being. The most effective leaders will be those who can do both.

Continuous Evolution

As organizations continue to evolve, leadership development cannot remain static. The organizations that stand apart are those that stop viewing learning as a single event and instead create environments where leaders can continuously grow, expand their enterprise perspective and lead effectively through change. This turns leadership development from a program into a sustained competitive advantage.