A recent Gartner study reveals that nearly half of all managers are at risk of failure, a staggering statistic that highlights the growing challenges faced by those in leadership roles. With organizations becoming increasingly flat and the average number of direct reports per manager nearly tripling in the past six years, the job of a manager has become increasingly unmanageable.
This crisis is taking a toll on both managers and their teams, with employees reporting to at-risk managers being 91% less likely to be high performers and three times more likely to want to leave their organizations.
The study identified four key predictors of manager failure: lack of self-awareness, absence of two-way empathy, unproductive manager-employee relationships, and misalignment between employees' work and organizational goals.
To mitigate these risks, organizations must prioritize proactive strategies, such as investing in programs that build self-awareness in future managers, teaching employees to be more empathetic towards their managers, and updating goal-setting processes to ensure alignment between work and both organizational and employee career objectives.
As the complexity of organizations and the diversity of employee needs continue to grow, the traditional approach of promoting high-performing individual contributors into management roles without proper training and support is no longer sustainable.
Companies must rethink their promotion pipelines and invest in comprehensive management development programs to equip leaders with the skills and tools they need to succeed. By addressing the root causes of manager failure and fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth, organizations can not only mitigate risks but also unlock the full potential of their talent and drive long-term business success.