VR leadership training involves using VR technology (simulations, headsets, controllers, etc.) to help trainees develop their leadership skills. Participants wear a VR headset, which allows them to practice different skills in scenarios that mimic real-world leadership challenges—for example, delivering difficult feedback or managing a crisis.
This method can be highly transformative for leadership training. Why? Because it leads to better and faster outcomes and makes long-term financial sense.
In this ArborXR article, we’ll discuss the benefits of VR leadership training, its key applications, and important considerations as you gear up to implement it.
Why is VR Ideal for Leadership Training?
Immersive Learning
VR simulations make trainees feel like they’re truly in the situation they’re facing. This deep emotional engagement helps learners better understand and tackle real-world scenarios.
In fact, at Bank of America, 97% of employees who were trained with VR felt confident when applying their new skills.
Safe Environment
VR training takes place in a simulated world. So, leaders can practice their skills without risking real-world consequences. This creates a safe space to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes without impacting employees or the organization.
Repeatability
VR allows trainees to revisit challenging scenarios, as often as needed. This repetition helps solidify learning and builds muscle memory for critical leadership behaviors.
3 Promising Applications for VR Leadership Training (+ Examples)
Responding to Heated Situations
Every leader needs to be able to navigate conflict and deescalate tense situations. VR leadership training makes it a lot easier to nurture these skills.
You can use VR to create realistic simulations of heated arguments, disgruntled employees, or difficult customer service scenarios. Then, leaders can practice responding in a calm, professional manner without barriers like fear of judgment or causing real harm. PeopleTech Revolution is a great example.
This XR training ISV is trusted by top companies like Vanguard and Google for different training initiatives—including leadership training. They have a training module called LiftVR that lets leaders practice a range of modules, like heated discussions and sensitive conversations.
DEI Training
A SHRM report suggests that legacy DEI training content can sometimes have unintended consequences, potentially creating division instead of fostering unity. We see VR DEI training as a powerful solution that drives real progress through empathy.
VR can immerse leaders in scenarios that not only explain the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but also allow them to experience concepts like diversity, discrimination, and microaggressions in a deeply personal way.
This is an incredibly powerful tool for developing the empathy that great leaders need to succeed in diverse, complex workplaces.
Accenture is a great example of a company that’s taking advantage of VR DEI training. They use Wondder’s “Day in the Office” module to immerse trainees in scenarios where get to tackle microaggressions, unconscious biases, and gender biases.
Emotional Intelligence
Good leaders excel at understanding and managing both their own emotions and those of others. VR training programs can simulate emotionally charged situations and train leaders on how to navigate them effectively.
For instance, Locker Room Talk uses VR to train sports coaches in emotional intelligence with a module called Coach Journey.
Considerations for Designing Effective VR Leadership Training Programs
Needs Assessment
Lots of companies approach VR training by throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. This isn’t the right approach to take with your VR training initiatives.
Start by narrowing your focus and identifying exactly what you need:
- Which specific leadership skills are you aiming to improve?
- What kind of content do you need, and who’s going to create it?
- How many people are you planning to train?
- How many headsets should you invest in?
You might be wondering how to figure all this out. Start with the basics—interview key stakeholders, survey company leaders, and conduct performance reviews to figure out that skills and knowledge gaps exist.
But let’s be real—to really nail this down, you’re probably going to need some expert input. Which brings us to our next point…
Work With Experts
If you want to maximize the impact of your VR training initiatives while also reducing costs and minimizing risks, seek expert input. This approach is a common denominator among companies that have successfully implemented VR training.
Bank of America worked with VR expert Michael Wynn to make sure their implementation was successful. Pfizer partnered with Nick Hockley, another VR pro, and Delta partnered with Futurus to execute their training initiatives.
Looking for expert guidance? At ArborXR, our team of XR solutions specialists can help you with:
- Pinpointing your exact needs
- Finding content creators that meet your requirements
- Handling provisioning and configuration
- Choosing the right hardware for your initiatives
Plus, our XR directory is a great resource for finding trusted XR developers and ISVs (like Futurus) in your industry. These companies have a proven track record for delivering high-quality VR training experiences, and most will be able to help you implement your training program, too.
Invest in a Great VR MDM
As you get ready to invest in VR headsets for your initiatives, you should also start considering a VR device management (MDM) platform to manage them.
Managing multiple VR devices manually can get chaotic, fast. You’ll quickly find yourself dealing with issues like:
- Losing track of a device’s location
- Managing manual updates and content installs
- Monitoring battery levels across devices
- Tracking usage and performance metrics
- Enforcing security policies and access controls
A dedicated VR MDM like ArborXR helps you solve these issues by centralizing device management.
ArborXR lets you manage your entire headset fleet from one remote platform. Track locations, monitor usage, and control devices effortlessly, no matter how many you have.
We offer a ton of useful features, like:
- Kiosk Mode: Lock headsets to a single, focused app.
- Custom VR Launcher: Curate and control VR environments and experiences.
- Remote App Management: Wirelessly push training apps and updates.
- Release Channel: Install latest app versions without workflow disruption.
- Location Tracking: View device locations and statuses, including battery life.
With our Remote View feature, you can also cast what your trainees see straight to your web portal, whether it’s one device or many. This lets you monitor their experience closely, guide them when needed, or even shut down devices if they go off track.
We also make sideloading third-party content incredibly easy. Developers can add content to your training library directly, without any additional steps or approvals. Then, you can install it to your entire device fleet (or specific device groups) with a click.
And speaking of content, our XR directory is a great way to connect with top enterprise VR developers to get high-quality custom and off-the-shelf VR leadership training content. Many of these developers are even able to help you plan your VR training from the ground up.
Note: Remote View currently works with non-Quest devices like PICO 4E, DVPR, and more.
Roll Out Effective VR Leadership Training Initiatives
Virtual reality can completely transform your leadership training initiatives with benefits like immersive learning, increased confidence, cost-effectiveness, and safe environments.
But before you start investing in VR headsets, make sure you have a plan to manage them efficiently. Without a solid management strategy, things can get chaotic fast.
Luckily, ArborXR has you covered. Our platform helps you manage your entire VR fleet, install training apps and updates seamlessly, and control the entire experience remotely. Ready to give ArborXR a try? Check out our 30-day free trial today!
