5 Factors That Weaken Your Leadership Pipeline

Have you had a chance to download our new white paper, “Transforming Leadership Development Through Technology: A Strategic Imperative”?

We created this report when we saw that today’s change-filled business environment is making it increasingly difficult to cultivate the leaders that organizations need. Only 12% of companies report confidence in their bench of prepared future leaders, according to DDI's Global Leadership Forecast 2023. 

What’s behind this crisis? Here are a few factors we’ve identified. Each is covered in more depth in the white paper. 

1.   Training Budgets Are Stretched Thin

There’s no question that leadership is valuable. But that value can come at a hefty cost. Executive coaching can run from $200 to $3,500 an hour, and the average length of a coaching engagement is nine months. Bringing a leadership trainer in for a class of 15-20 people also has a daily price tag in the thousands of dollars.

2.   Potential Leaders Get Overlooked

Because of those budget realities, organizations tend to limit leadership development to high performers and high potentials. That means we’re missing out on the skills and talents of countless other potential leaders.

3.   Employees Say They’re Too Busy

Time also gets in the way of leadership development. For busy professionals, finding room for training in their packed schedules is a tall order. In one survey, employees said they have only about 24 minutes for learning during a 40-hour week. That’s no surprise when we consider that 55% of workers say their jobs have gotten more intense and demanding.

4.   Distractions Take a Toll

But a lack of time isn’t the full story. Even if an employee manages to set aside an hour to take an online course, they may have trouble focusing on it for long. The average amount of time that people spend on any single event before being interrupted or task switching is about three minutes. Our attention spans are taking a beating: The average time we can pay attention to one screen is 47 seconds.

5.   The Forgetting Curve Is Real

Leadership development isn’t just about what employees learn. It’s about what they retain. You’ve probably heard about the “forgetting curve”: A week after training, those busy, distracted employees we’ve been talking about will remember only about 10% of what they learned. Why does this happen? Info just doesn’t stick in our minds if it’s not relevant to us or we can’t use it immediately.

Transform Your Approach to Leadership Development

If these problems are affecting leadership development at your organization, our white paper can be your roadmap to solving them and building a stronger leadership pipeline. In it, you’ll learn how technology now enables to do some pretty cool things:

• Create training that makes a real difference in just a few minutes.

• Make learning and development happen every day.

• Expand access to leadership development.

To learn more, get your free copy of “Transforming Leadership Development Through Technology: A Strategic Imperative.” We’re excited about all the possibilities that the tech revolution in L&D creates. And we think you will be, too. Check out our white paper, and then join the conversation about it on LinkedIn.

3 Key Challenges Managers At Top Organizations Are Facing: White Paper

At Newberry Solutions, we collaborate with some of the world's most successful companies. Our work gives us a firsthand perspective on the challenges that organizations are currently grappling with and how effectively they are tackling these challenges.

Across diverse industries, a clear trend has come to the forefront. The role of managers has become more pivotal than ever in guiding organizations through issues like workplace disruptions, the transition to hybrid work, and the cumulative impact of years of change and stress.

If you think that sounds like a lot of pressure on managers, you are absolutely right. Amid all of these new expectations, managers are more susceptible to burnout compared with both higher-level leaders and individual contributors. The stark truth is that the very people your company relies on right now are at a heightened risk of disengagement or even departure.

These trends prompted the creation of our special report, "3 Key Challenges for Managers." Our goals are to provide insight into the demands placed on managers, along with advice on giving managers the support they need to navigate these challenges. Here’s just a sampling of what this white paper covers:

• How the 305,000+ layoffs that happened in 2023 have affected teams and managers.

• The emerging gap between organizations and employees in their support for DEI initiatives.

• How hybrid work is changing managers’ jobs.

• The burnout crisis among managers.

• Proven strategies to help your managers thrive.

We are eager to hear your thoughts and questions, so feel free to tag me in your LinkedIn posts about this report or reach out via email at info@newlensleadership.com. At the core of everything we do lies the passionate belief that leaders can change the world when their full potential is nurtured. This white paper is designed to empower you to do just that.

Get access to  "3 Key Challenges for Managers."

What’s New from Newberry Solutions

In this environment of constant change, we’re passionate about providing organizations the tools and resources they need to respond to the latest challenges. Besides our blog and social channels, we’ve also been sharing our insights and strategies through some top media outlets and in a new white paper. We want to make it easy for you to tap into our expertise, so today I’m rounding up our 2023 publications so that you can catch up on any you might have missed.

Forbes Coaches Council: Retention, Growth and Development

The Great Resignation may have faded from the headlines, but employee retention is still a big issue. That’s why I wrote the article “To Retain Employees, Help Them Grow And Develop” for  Forbes Coaches Council. In it, I shared ideas on how to prioritize growth and development even when schedules and budgets are tight.

As a Council member, I also contribute to roundup articles alongside other inspiring coaches. We’ve tackled a variety of topics so far this year:

• 15 Telltale Signs A Business Is Growing Too Quickly

• 15 Modern And Unique Ways To Find New Business Leads

• Have Trouble Setting Boundaries At Work? Try These 14 Expert Tips

• New To Coaching? Here Are 14 Things Seasoned Experts Think You Should Know

• 15 Ways To Skyrocket Your 'Hireability' As A Paid Speaker

• 16 Tips To Help Leaders Harness The Power Of Mindful Language

Fast Company: Stress Management

One of the major themes we’re seeing this year is the importance of managing stress (both your own and your team’s) to prevent burnout. I talked about this topic in the article “4 ways managers can take care of themselves through stressful situations” for Fast Company. As I wrote in the article, “before you can be there for your team, you have to first take care of yourself.”

White Paper: Managers Under Pressure

In addition to those media publications, we also launched a new white paper this year, “Managers Under Pressure.” We created this research report because we saw how important managers are in helping organizations navigate key issues like remote work, layoffs and resignations. But, at the same time, managers are more likely to suffer from burnout than either higher-level leaders or individual contributors are. “Managers Under Pressure” will enhance your understanding of today’s unprecedented challenges, how those challenges affect your organization’s managers and how to help your managers become more resilient, effective and engaged.

Share the Learning

I hope that these resources will help you meet your goals at work and that you will also consider sharing them with your team members and peers who are also navigating these issues. To go deeper with our learning and development resources, check out our award-winning New Lens® app. Schedule your demo today. 

Our New White Paper: Managers Under Pressure

At Newberry Solutions, we work with some of the world’s top companies. That means we get a firsthand look at the latest challenges organizations are facing, as well as how they are doing in meeting those challenges.

Across all fields, we’ve seen a clear trend emerge. Managers are more important than ever in helping organizations navigate key issues. But, at the same time, managers are more likely to suffer from burnout than either higher-level leaders or individual contributors are. In other words, the very people your company likely needs most right now are at high risk of disengaging or even leaving.

That’s why we created our new special report, “Managers Under Pressure: Why these key employees are feeling squeezed in 2023 — and what you can do to support them.” In it, you will learn:

• The current state of both layoffs and resignations, and all the ways that this turbulent employment environment places additional burdens on managers.

• What the “new normal” of remote and hybrid work looks like, and how managers are dealing with it.

• The cumulative effects of three change-filled years on a stressed-out workforce.

• How to support your managers’ wellbeing and productivity so that they can support your organization’s success.

Take a moment now to download your own copy of “Managers Under Pressure.” We hope that it will become a valuable resource for you and that you’ll share it with other forward-thinking leaders. After you read it, we’d love to hear your feedback and questions. So please tag me in your LinkedIn posts about our white paper, or contact us directly at info@newlensleadership.com. 

Newberry Solutions in the News

In case you missed it, I’ve recently been featured in several top media outlets about pressing workplace issues, and we have published a new white paper. Read on for a roundup of our recent publications.

Fast Company: Starting a New Job

Are you one of the many people who have changed jobs during the Great Resignation? I wrote the article “6 simple but crucial things you must do in your first 3 months on the job” for Fast Company to help you hit the ground running in your new role. The article covers topics including building your brand as a leader, defining success and building relationships.

Forbes: Burnout, Conflict and Micromanaging

In addition to my collaboration with Fast Company, I’m excited to be a member of the Forbes Coaches Council. As part of the council, I’ve been featured with other inspiring coaches to provide strategies to address challenges that leaders are facing:

• Feeling Burned Out At Work? 13 Ways To Diagnose And Address It

• 16 Tips To Help Leaders Facilitate Virtual Conflict Resolution

• 16 Ways For New Leaders To Avoid Micromanaging Their Teams

Wall Street Journal: Asking for a Raise

What are the most important things to remember when you are asking for a raise? In the Wall Street Journal’s Women In newsletter, I shared the tactics that work for my coaching clients when they seek a pay increase. 

White Paper: Leadership Development for a Changing World

Over the past couple of years, Newberry Solutions has helped organizations develop their leaders in a business environment that’s full of upheaval and uncertainty. Through it all, we’ve seen how leadership development must evolve to keep up with these challenges. We distilled everything we learned into the white paper “Leadership Development for a Changing World.” In this free download, we explore today’s rapid changes, how they affect your organization’s leaders, and how to provide the training that your leaders need now.

I hope that these resources will support your own work as a leader. I’d love to hear your feedback and questions, and I invite you to join the conversation on LinkedIn.