Want to rise to the top in your career? A new study from MIT, published November 4, 2024, in the Journal of Applied Psychology, suggests an unexpected tool: debate training.
Unlike generic communication workshops, debate training sharpens assertiveness, helping people stand out as leaders in U.S. organizations.
“Debate training can promote leadership emergence and advancement by fostering individuals’ assertiveness, which is a key, valued leadership characteristic in U.S. organizations,” says MIT Associate Professor Jackson Lu.
The research, enriched by insights into information gain from online sources, shows how structured argumentation skills can unlock career potential across diverse groups.
Assertiveness as a Leadership Edge
The study reveals that debate training equips people with the ability to express ideas confidently and respectfully, a trait distinct from aggressiveness.
The American Psychological Association defines assertiveness as “an adaptive style of communication in which individuals express their feelings and needs directly, while maintaining respect for others.”
Unlike vague communication courses, debate training teaches precise techniques—such as eliminating filler words and mastering pacing—that make individuals sound leader-like.
“Whether it is cutting filler or mastering pacing, knowing how to assert our opinions helps us sound more leader-like,” says co-author Lu Doris Zhang.
Online discussions, such as a 2023 Harvard Business Review article, highlight that structured debate also enhances critical thinking, adding a layer of strategic clarity to workplace interactions, a benefit not fully captured by general training.
Two Rigorous Experiments
The researchers conducted two experiments to test debate training’s impact.
In the first, 471 employees at a Fortune 100 company were randomly assigned to either nine weeks of debate training or no training. After 18 months, those trained were 12 percentage points more likely to have advanced to leadership roles, driven by increased assertiveness.
The second experiment involved 975 university participants, randomly split into debate training, a non-debate communication course, or no training. Those with debate training were more likely to emerge as leaders in group tasks, with assertiveness again explaining the effect.
“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,” Zhang notes.
The study’s diverse sample showed no significant differences in impact across gender, ethnicity, or U.S. versus non-U.S. origins.
Broader Implications for Leadership
The findings challenge firms to rethink how they identify leaders. “We emphasize that the onus of breaking leadership barriers should not fall on individuals themselves,” Lu says, urging organizations to value varied communication styles.
Debate training’s focus on assertiveness offers a concrete path to leadership, but firms must also recognize other traits, like listening or humility, for effective leadership.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence, including a 2024 Forbes report noting debate skills boost confidence in high-stakes meetings, suggesting employees and companies alike should invest in such training to foster equitable advancement.
“There is an important distinction between leadership emergence and leadership effectiveness,” Lu adds, hinting at future research to explore broader leadership qualities.
Study Details:
- Publication: Journal of Applied Psychology, American Psychological Association
- Publication Date: November 4, 2024
- Title: Breaking Ceilings: Debate Training Promotes Leadership Emergence by Increasing Assertiveness
- Authors: Jackson Lu, Michelle X. Zhao, Hui Liao, Lu Doris Zhang
- Affiliations:
- MIT Sloan School of Management (Lu, Zhang)
- Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis (Zhao)
- Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland (Liao)
- DOI: 10.1037/apl0001273