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The aim is to expose shoddy and unprofessional thinking and activity amongst some trainers.

The paper uses dictionary definitions and experience to expose linguistic errors by trainers who label their courses as workshops – when they are not.

The analysis shows that trainers mis‐use the English language in order to promote their courses.

The practical implications for the buyers of learning and development activity is to beware of trainers disguising their courses as workshops.

One implication is the waste by organizations on courses that masquerade as workshops – hence reducing practical application and transfer of learning.

No‐one has written on this subject before.

This chapter forms the introduction to the book and offers an overview on the main aspects of leadership development that require explanation and further consideration. The current poor state of much development is considered and evidence provided of the deficiency in our understanding of organisations and how they function in actuality.

The misunderstandings about how people behave and how they really manage or lead are explored. One of the most important of these is the assumption of transferability, not just between national and regional cultures but within societal cultures, sectors, industries and organisations. This assumption applies equally to learning interventions which can have contradictory forms by being based on criteria external to the company and the individual leaders within it. The dominance of university business schools is also questioned.

The introduction concludes with an overview of the two-part format of the book and provides a pen picture of each chapter.