Abstract Purpose – This paper aims to evaluate leadership diffusion in a federal agency within the context of organizational learning and culture change. Design/methodology/approach – Using an innovative 360 degree survey assessment method, the impact of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Leadership Program (LP) was examined. A series of statistical tests was performed to analyze the role of familiarity and exposure in predicting leadership behavior and to compare the level of leadership behavior among co-workers based on exposure to the LP. Findings – The findings indicate that familiarity is a critical predictor of behavior change across all co-worker subgroups. Increased exposure to the LP results in stronger, more consistent predictive models. Finally, co-workers with higher exposure to the LP have increased levels of leadership behavior. Research limitations/implications – The results in the study suggest that, in order to promote leadership and organizational learning, familiarity with leadership skills is essential. Furthermore, the greater the familiarity with leadership through at-work interaction, the more likely co-workers are to learn and apply leadership techniques. Originality/value – The study is especially unique and valuable due to the advanced 360 degree assessment which acts as a tool to measure the diffusion of leadership principles from LP participants to co-workers, while also analyzing the role of participant interaction with co-workers following their participation in a leadership class. Keywords Workplace training, Leadership, Diffusion, Federal government Paper type Research paper