Survey: What Keeps Most Managers From Becoming Leaders?

Furniture World Magazine

There are three major reasons that most managers cannot become leaders, according to a national survey of over 300 presidents and chief executive officers. The careers of most managers are stalled because: they do not understand others well enough (cited by 63 percent of the top executives), are not able to solve problems quickly enough (cited by 56 percent), and do not take necessary risks (cited by 44 percent of the top executives), explained Harold Weinstein, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer at Caliper, a human resources consulting firm headquartered in Princeton. Nearly one-out-of-five top executives in Caliper's survey said that there is not a single manager in their organization who has the potential to grow into their job. "Most of us have grown up with the idea that succeeding in management is the surest way to develop leadership skills. But there are some real personality differences between managers and leaders," said Dr. Weinstein. The top executives Caliper surveyed felt they were born with 40 percent of their leadership ability and developed the remaining 60 percent through experience. What are the personality qualities that account for this 40 percent of innate leadership ability? "When we assessed the personality strengths of these top executives, we found they were adept at influencing others, skillful at building relationships and masterful at solving problems, making decisions and taking necessary risks," Dr. Weinstein said. "They are also extremely bright, assertive, driven to persuade, empathic, resilient and motivated to explore new ideas." "This leadership profile," Dr. Weinstein said, "is distinct from the most successful managers we have assessed-who tend to be much more conservative. The best managers usually succeed by working within established guidelines, keeping projects moving and getting the job done." He added, "It is critical to have both leaders and managers to drive a business forward. But it is also vital to know the difference between the two." So, how can potential leaders rise through the ranks of management? "All too often, they don't. Which is a double loss-to them and to the organization," explained Dr. Weinstein. "Here's the dilemma: if managers with leadership potential maintain the status quo, their leadership skills won't be recognized. If they rock the boat, other managers may feel threatened and try to subvert them." Dr. Weinstein concluded, "One of the hallmarks of true leadership is to surround yourself with potential leaders. At the end of the day, the most important-and difficult-responsibility of current leaders is to mentor future leaders, provide opportunities for them to make a difference, and get out of their way."