Why We Fail Leaders at Critical Transitions
It never ceases to surprise me that although we know the common challenges leaders face at key transitions, we still do far too little to prepare them effectively.
We’ve long understood the predictable hurdles that arise when moving from individual contributor to people leader, from people leader to mid-level leader, and from there to strategic leadership roles. Yet time and again, we are seduced by the latest trends or shiny new models, rather than focusing on what we already know makes a difference. Leadership development often becomes a series of one-off programs or events, rather than a thoughtfully sequenced set of experiences designed to prepare and hone the critical skills and insights leaders need to succeed.
Frustratingly, we still don’t treat leadership as the professional discipline it should be. If we did, we would apply the same rigour to developing leaders as we do to other professions. Imagine if we trained pilots, surgeons, or engineers with the same ad hoc, inconsistent approach we often take with leaders—our organisations would be in constant crisis.
Underpinning this preparation should be a fundamental recognition: the one thing every leader brings to the role is themselves. It’s therefore essential that leaders develop a deep understanding of what they personally bring to leadership—what sets them up for success, and what could potentially derail their impact.
As a foundation, I believe there are key “pivot skills” every leader needs. These are capabilities that serve leaders throughout their careers, across roles, industries, and levels of responsibility. Pivot skills include:
The ability to hold high-quality conversations and interactions, because leadership lives in communication.
A deep understanding of self, recognising how personal patterns, values, and tendencies influence one’s leadership approach.
The ability and insight to make sound decisions and judgements, especially under pressure and amid ambiguity.
The capacity to mobilise others, building alignment and commitment through understanding, relationships, and influence.
Leadership is fundamental to success across every domain of modern life. In today’s knowledge-based organisations, the qualities and skills of effective leadership are at the heart of how work gets done, how cultures are built, and how strategies come to life.
It’s time we stripped away the noise and re-committed to the fundamentals—investing in the things we know, through experience, truly make an impact.
Leadership transitions don’t have to be sink-or-swim experiences. If you’re passionate about setting leaders up for success, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what truly makes a difference—or explore how we can partner to build the skills and experiences leaders need to thrive.