As a first-time leader/manager, it can be tough to navigate the responsibilities and expectations that come with the role, and unfortunately, the current leadership training that is available falls short of creating the effective and inspiring leaders we need.
According to a recent survey by Gallup, only 1 in 10 employees believe that their managers have the necessary skills to be effective leaders, and a study by Harvard Business Review found that 58% of employees trust strangers more than their own boss.
It’s time for a change. We need to integrate leadership and management training right from the start, as they are like the two wings of a bird – both are necessary for it to fly.
The outdated notion that they are separate is based on a time when managers simply followed orders from owners (going way back to the industrial revolution) and passed them down the line. Leadership training, on the other hand, grew out of community leadership and wasn’t focused on business leadership.
We need to recognise that businesses are all about people and that effective leadership and management are essential for success. It’s time to create a new paradigm that integrates these two skill sets to create leaders who can inspire and empower their teams to achieve great things.
