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Organizations continue to invest in management and leadership development to drive performance and enhance leadership capabilities. However, identifying development activities that address real business needs can be challenging. Based on input from over 48,000 leaders across 7,000 global organizations, this recent research by the Center for Creative Leadership highlights the top challenges at different management levels—frontline, mid-level, senior leaders, and executives. Despite distinct challenges at each level, the research categorizes them into three overarching areas: personal growth, managing people and tasks, and navigating larger organizational systems. For example, regarding personal growth, frontline managers often struggle with developing confidence, managing former peers, or overcoming “imposter syndrome.” Mid-level managers may experience self-doubt in strategic decisions or influencing senior leaders, while senior leaders often need greater self-awareness to understand how their leadership style impacts others, especially when delivering tough messages. As a bonus, I am resharing my 2016 article, Identifying Leadership Capabilities that Drive Business Performance, to help organizations think through the specific leadership capabilities most relevant to their success and distinct strategy and culture.
