Lead or Get Out of the Way: HR’s Mission to Replace Managers with Leaders

Webcast Highlights:

• How to bring out the best in your employees with a fresh take on strengths-based development
• Capitalizing on opportunities presented in a constantly-changing economy
• Shifting the culture of your organization to become more agile and effective

HCI’s latest Talent Pulse research, Identifying and Developing First-time People Leaders, confirms that 82% of first-time leaders come from within the organization. But what follows is often a trial by fire, or more apropos, trial and error, as the support for their new role is relegated to on-the-job training. These employees were good tacticians as evidenced by their promotion, but what they aren’t getting is support or development in the areas they, and the organization, need most: leadership development.

HCI’s research also found that the average age of a supervisor is 33 years old, but most managers don’t participate in leadership training until they are 42. This alarming disconnect further demonstrates that the development of leadership capabilities in the very people who hold the key to engagement in our companies is sorely lacking.

Perhaps this is because the nuances of “managers” versus “leaders” are not well understood in many organizations. Noted thought leader, Josh Allan Dykstra, wrote in a recent article that when we ask people to “manage” we’re in effect asking them to block the path of progress and stand in the way of innovation.

What we really must do is create leaders out of everyone in the organization and enable individuals at all levels to bring their highest contribution, best ideas, and full engagement to work all day, every day.