Debate training can significantly boost your chances of advancing to leadership roles, according to recent research. By fostering assertiveness, debate skills help individuals stand out and succeed in U.S. organizations.
For those looking to climb the corporate ladder, here’s a compelling suggestion that you may have overlooked: debate training. A recent study reveals that individuals who learn the basics of debating are more likely to achieve leadership roles within U.S. organizations compared to those who don’t undergo such training. The key factor driving this advantage is the assertiveness fostered through debate skills.
“Debate training can promote leadership emergence and advancement by fostering individuals’ assertiveness, which is a key, valued leadership characteristic in U.S. organizations,” co-author Jackson Lu, an MIT associate professor, said in a news release.
The research, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, delves into the empirical benefits of debate training in leadership development — a topic often discussed anecdotally but seldom studied systematically.
“Leadership development is a multi-billion-dollar industry, where people spend a lot of money trying to help individuals emerge as leaders,” Lu added. “But the public doesn’t actually know what would be effective, because there hasn’t been a lot of causal evidence. That’s exactly what we provide.”
The Study
The study’s findings are based on two experiments. In the first, 471 employees from a Fortune 100 firm were randomly assigned to either nine weeks of debate training or no training. After 18 months, those who received debate training were 12 percentage points more likely to have advanced to leadership roles. This was attributed to increased assertiveness gained through debate training.
The second experiment analyzed 975 university participants and their responses to debate training versus alternative training or no training. Consistent with the first experiment, debate-trained participants were more likely to emerge as leaders in group activities, an effect also linked to heightened assertiveness.
“The inclusion of a non-debate training condition allowed us to causally claim that debate training, rather than just any training, improved assertiveness and increased leadership emergence,” added co-author Lu Doris Zhang, a doctoral student at MIT.
While some may view assertiveness as potentially disruptive, the American Psychological Association defines it as a beneficial communication style that allows individuals to express their feelings and needs directly, while maintaining respect for others.
Lu underscores this point, adding, “Assertiveness is conceptually different from aggressiveness. To speak up in meetings or classrooms, people don’t need to be aggressive jerks. You can ask questions politely, yet still effectively express opinions. Of course, that’s different from not saying anything at all.”
In today’s fast-paced world, refined communication skills are crucial.
“Whether it is cutting filler or mastering pacing, knowing how to assert our opinions helps us sound more leader-like,” added Zhang.
Identification of Leaders
Interestingly, the study found that debate training benefits people regardless of gender, nationality or ethnicity. However, it raises broader questions about how companies recognize and cultivate various leadership capabilities.
“We emphasize that the onus of breaking leadership barriers should not fall on individuals themselves,” Lu added. “Organizations should also recognize and appreciate different communication and leadership styles in the workplace.”
Furthermore, Lu emphasizes that the research examines leadership emergence, not leadership effectiveness.
“It’s possible that people who are better listeners, who are more cooperative, and humbler, should also be selected for leadership positions because they are more effective leaders,” he added.
The research was partly funded by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.