Neglecting leaders

“Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.”
– Tom Peters

A stunning new report* from HR research guru Josh Bersin reveals that organizational investments in leadership development have hit a new low, and it shows.

According to a news release about the new report, fewer than 1 in 4 companies are satisfied with their leadership teams; 83% have cut or neglected leadership development budgets.

These new lows in development, dropping to less than $500 per employee for 40% of companies, have created a worldwide gap in leader capacity to meet shifting needs.

“The pandemic, coupled with accelerating transformation driven by technology and industry convergence, has led companies to over-focus on business issues, neglecting the need to develop leaders in the process. In fact, almost every company Josh Bersin Company researchers spoke with admitted deep concerns about burnout and performance issues among their first-line managers, mid-level leaders, and even senior directors,” the news release says.

“Leadership is no longer about hitting the numbers and ensuring operational rigor,” Bersin says. “It’s now a game of driving change, empowering and developing people, and giving people the flexibility, rewards, and growth they need.  Every company is now ‘people-dependent’ for their operational performance.”

The 2-year study by the The Josh Bersin Company with BetterUp involved interviews with more than 50 CHROs and business leaders, and surveys on more than 1,000 leading companies. It’s Bersin’s fourth study since 2005 and, he says, this one surprised him:

“After studying leadership for more than 25 years, I have never seen such low levels of investment and maturity in leadership development.”

An executive overview of the study is available here.

How has this shift impacted your organization? Are your people excited and prepared to become better leaders?

Talk to your Advantage partner or contact us to find out more about our most effective leadership development opportunities or RSVP for one of our upcoming free events: Interplay on Nov. 14 or 15 and Collective Genius on Nov. 20 or Dec. 5.

*Thanks to Brent Snow, our thought leader partner at 10,000 Feet, who drew our attention to this new report.

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One great thing for 11.07.23 – A simple way to inspire your team – David Burkus | TEDx Reno

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