“Think, feel, do” (TFD): a marketing framework to advance leadership development

Mitsakis, F ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8454-5777, Loumpourdi, M and Titus, O ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0853-1151, 2026. “Think, feel, do” (TFD): a marketing framework to advance leadership development. Strategy and Leadership. ISSN 1087-8572

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Abstract

Purpose: This conceptual paper highlights the importance of integrating cognitive strategies to enhance decision-making, emotional engagement to increase motivation, and behavioral changes to embed leadership practices.

Design/methodology/approach: This paper critically examines the integration of the TFD marketing framework to enhance leadership development programs, analyzing how cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components can improve leadership effectiveness by providing practical insights for professionals and scholars.

Findings: Applying the TFD framework to leadership development illustrates how cognitive strategies, emotional engagement, and behavioral changes influence the cultivation of influential leaders at all levels of the organization. Such interdisciplinary integration provides organizations with a comprehensive approach to developing leaders, ensuring they are prepared to navigate complexity.

Practical implications: The recommended TFD framework emphasizes the iterative cycles of cognition, emotion, and behavior to promote sustainable change. It starts with diagnostic clarity (“Think”), develops relational capacity (“Feel”), and embeds habits (“Do”). Designed as a short, blended, work-integrated cycle (e.g. 12 weeks plus 90-day consolidation), it combines strategic challenges, empathic listening, and habit formation. Responsibility extends across governance levels, with evaluation at four points: baseline, mid-cycle, end-cycle, and follow-up, monitoring adoption, cognitive and emotional shifts, behavioral transfer, and organizational outcomes. This approach highlights intentional practice, feedback, and systemic support rather than episodic training.

Social implications: Integrating TFD principles into national leadership standards and public-sector training policies can help close the gap between intention and action in policy implementation, ensuring that leadership development leads to measurable social outcomes. Broader societal benefits include increased trust in institutions, improved public service delivery, and stronger community participation.

Originality/value: The proposed conceptual framework provides innovative insights for leadership development professionals and offers a structured approach to leadership programs. By situating the Think–Feel–Do pathway in relation to experiential learning, emotional intelligence, transfer-of-training, and transformational leadership theories, the paper clarifies how the framework incorporates and advances these established models within a leadership development context. This addresses the vital gap between traditional leadership practices and sustained leadership behaviors that align with organizational values. The study’s interdisciplinary approach enriches existing leadership literature by exploring how marketing principles can be applied to leadership development.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Strategy and Leadership
Creators:	Mitsakis, F., Loumpourdi, M. and Titus, O.
Publisher:	Emerald
Date:	13 January 2026
ISSN:	1087-8572
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1108/SL-08-2025-0234 DOI 2557249 Other
Rights:	© 2025 Emerald Publishing Limited. This AAM is provided for your own personal use only. It may not be used for resale, reprinting, systematic distribution, emailing, or for any other commercial purpose without the permission of the publisher.
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham Business School
Record created by:	Laura Borcherds
Date Added:	29 Jan 2026 11:00
Last Modified:	29 Jan 2026 11:00
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/55148

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