TWO-THIRDS of UK organisations are suffering from a shortage of highly effective leaders, according to a survey of 664 training managers
TWO THIRDS of UK organisations are suffering from a shortage of highly effective leaders, according to a survey of 664 training managers.
In response to this leadership deficit, 85 per cent of UK organisations are now investing in some form of leadership development activity.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which conducted the survey, said the widespread use of leadership development activities is unsurprising in the light of perception of their value.
Ninety-eight per cent of respondents think that well designed leadership development activities can have a positive impact on the bottom line and 91 per cent believe that there is a direct link between investment in leadership development and organisational performance.
The main drivers for investing in leadership development are to successfully manage organisational change and to ensure that the forward business strategy can be delivered as well as to fill internal skills gaps, according to the learning, training and development professionals surveyed.
Separate research from the CIPD found that organisations undergo some form of major organisational change every three years, but that four in ten such reorganisations fail to achieve their objectives.
“This leadership deficit could undermine the ability of UK organisations to adapt to change and achieve their business strategies,” said Jessica Jarvis, CIPD adviser on learning, training and development.
“Although many organisations are investing in leadership development, it appears that many leaders lack the skills to successfully lead and manage organisations during times of change.”
Despite the importance of these activities, she said, training professionals still face considerable challenges in delivering leadership development.
Arguments continue to rage about the most effective solutions and almost half of respondents report that it isn’t an essential business activity (47 per cent). Other significant barriers are a lack of support from senior managers (40 per cent) and problems proving the direct impact of activities on business performance (38 per cent).
“Trainers still have a lot of work to do in convincing senior management of the benefits of leadership development,” Jarvis said.
Organisations are increasingly turning to alternative methods such as coaching and e-learning to promote learning at work.
