Leader development is a priority for every organisation, isn’t it?
Despite there being a substantial appetite for development programmes from the majority of leaders, there are serious questions being raised about the availability and quality of such support.
Our recent survey found that younger generations are the most eager to take part in leader development programmes, with 32% of Gen Z and 37% of Millennials saying they’re keen to do more of them. This isn’t exactly surprising as younger, less experienced workers are increasingly taking on leadership positions; and while they undoubtedly possess many of the key technical skills needed in today’s world of work – including an almost innate digital fluency – their limited experience in leadership roles means they likely lack some of the more interpersonal skills needed to lead effectively.
These ‘power’ skills – previously, and somewhat painfully dubbed ‘soft’ skills – are integral to maintaining a motivated and productive workforce. And while certain leadership traits tend to occur naturally – you either have them or you don’t – many of the key behaviours associated with effective leadership can be learned and refined over time, which is why young leaders are turning to development programmes to help them grapple with the responsibilities of seniority.
That being said, it isn’t just young and/or future leaders who are looking to engage with development programmes, with 33% of existing leaders keen to do more of them as they look to meet the needs of an increasingly complex and demanding workforce.
This universal desire for ongoing development likely stems from a recognition of how insufficient leadership can negatively impact a business.
Recent research found that more than a third of office workers have considered quitting because of inexperienced managers with inadequate leadership skills. These so-called ‘rookie’ leaders are said to be lacking in their ability to make decisions, resolve conflict and provide feedback – resulting in many employees suffering from anxiety, a lack of motivation and sleepless nights. And so it’s no surprise that 28% of employees cited ineffective leadership as a top three driver of underperformance.
Without investment in their ongoing development, leaders will struggle to maintain employee satisfaction, retention and engagement. But this isn’t exactly ‘breaking news’.
Our survey found that one in five (21%) leaders say they wouldn’t be the leader they are today if they hadn’t been on leadership development programmes in the past, while 40% said they would consider paying for their employees to utilise similar support. Many leaders clearly recognise the positive impact that development initiatives have had on their careers and are keen to facilitate their use within the wider workforce. In fact, a study by MHR revealed that businesses have delivered nearly 29 million hours of training to their employees – including leadership and emotional intelligence courses.
Looking inward and investing in the development of existing talent makes perfect business sense, especially as data from the CIPD and ONS found that it would cost £1.3 billion to address the UK skills gap.
Why face the insurmountable costs of recruiting from an extremely competitive external market when you can build leadership pipelines and future success from inside the organisation? And yet, so many leaders are still struggling to access development support that is of the required standard.
A recent study found that 23% of businesses had zero learning and development schemes available for their leadership population, and that only a quarter of employers were found to be providing L&D in key areas such as leading change and digital skills. The research also found that even when organisations are providing access to some form of learning and development support, 69% of HR leaders cited it as inadequate. A sub-par solution will inevitably generate sub-par results.
This is further compounded by the fact L&D practitioners say they need more from their employers; both in supporting their function and in encouraging take-up. CIPD found that while addressing skills gaps is the key priority for almost a third of all learning & development professionals, a lack of capacity and prioritisation from the business is preventing them from achieving these goals. 53% of practitioners said their workloads had increased to such a degree that it impacted their ability to respond agilely to the skills needs of their organisations. Meanwhile, just 39% believe that employees are given sufficient time away from their day-to-day role to take part in career development activities.
On one hand, there appears to be acknowledgement that development programmes are key to building an effective leadership population, while on the other, a worrying lack of commitment from senior stakeholders is preventing the support from being delivered to its full potential and achieving the desired outcomes.
Unfortunately, it’s inconsistencies such as this that have created an extremely confusing and challenging environment for leaders.
“It’s crucial for organisations to understand the importance of ongoing development support for their leadership population. The world of work is constantly evolving, and many of the skills that were of value 5 years ago have changed – and will likely change again in another 5 years. Leaders have to remain agile and adaptable to these changes, but it’s only through understanding where their development needs lie and having access to the necessary support that leaders can future-proof themselves for long-term, sustainable success.”
Sector: ManufacturingOrganisation size: 90k employeesChallenge: Developing leadership capabilities for the delivery of key strategic and talent goals
A global manufacturer wanted to bolster the development of its mid-level leaders, globally, through a development programme that facilitated growth of skills and capabilities. In turn, we designed, piloted and launched a programme that addressed all three key capability areas set out by the client – strategy, execution and talent.
Since its launch in 2014, over 3,000 leaders globally have completed the programme. 100% of participants reported a lift in capabilities in the key competency areas: managing vision and purpose, leading change, business acumen and motivating/developing others.
Pre/post self-assessment % increase in capability level:
Managing vision: 13%
Leading change: 11%
Business acumen: 11%
Motivating others: 12%
The Director of Leadership Development said: “We have successfully partnered with Right Management over many years through the full evolution of this development programme. I have found them to be an excellent and consistent partner, able to support us in a complex setting through different phases, from consultation, design and global multilingual deployment. The result has been a successful global programme that delivers measurable improvements and outcomes for our leaders and the business.”
