Most new managers are in the dark about what it takes to be successful.
Finding the First Rung-A study from Development Dimensions International (DDI) on the challenges facing today's frontline leader, surveyed 1,130 supervisors and first-level managers to understand …
- how they're overcoming the challenges of their jobs and
- what is holding them back from being successful.
The major findings of the study include:- 42% of new managers don't understand what it takes to succeed
- 89% have at least one blind spot
- Only 1 in 10 leaders were actually groomed for the job
- Half took the role because of an increase in income - only 23% actually wanted to lead others
- More than half of leaders learned through trial and error.
And even if they've been in the role for a year or two, 30% of leaders still don't understand what it takes to be successful-after six years, that number is still only 10% lower, with 1 in 5 leaders who don't understand what it takes.
The result of this gap is leadership regret-1 out of 3 leaders surveyed regretted being promoted due to lack of preparation and or not knowing how to succeed.
Some of that distress can be attributed to how people got the job
- 11% of respondents said they became a leader because there was no one else for the job.
- These 'accidental leaders' regretted the promotion the most,
- were less likely to have wanted the promotion to begin with and
- more likely to question their ability to lead others.
Clearly, management by default isn't an effective promotion strategy and companies need to do due diligence to select leaders who have
- the desire,
- motivation-and skills-to be a leader or you've failed the individual and the business.
Source: Coach2Coach e-newsletter, March 2011.
