Why do so many new managers struggle and even flounder?
According to research conducted in 2019 by CER Global (now Gartner), a shocking 60 percent of new managers fail within two years of starting their new role in leadership.
That is an alarmingly high number — especially if you consider the effect that every unsuccessful new manager has on direct reports, team success and retention rates. As the saying goes: People don’t leave bad companies, they leave bad managers.
Why are the failure rates of new managers so high? And why particularly when, so often, it’s a star employee who got promoted into the management role? The key issue is something our coaching clients from across all business sectors have raised with us consistently over the years: There is little to no leadership training provided to new managers before they are promoted or in the initial months as they transition from being exemplary employees to leaders.
Typically, folks are promoted to management because they are technical experts in their industry, not because they have leadership skills.