CIPD calls on managers to show more leadership

04th May 2012

Three quarters of UK employers have reported a lack of leadership and management skills and too many managers have an inflated opinion of their ability to manage people, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The CIPD has responded to the findings by urging the Government and employers to recognise that a small increase in capability amongst the UK’s eight million people managers would make a significant contribution to the country’s growth.

Some 72% of employers reported a deficit of leadership and management skills. The CIPD’s quarterly Employee Outlook survey of 2,000 employees suggested that a key issue with tackling this skills deficit is that many managers simply don’t know how bad they are at managing people.

For example, eight out of ten managers said they think their staff are satisfied or very satisfied with them as a manager, whereas just 58% of employees reported this to actually be the case.

The CIPD says this ‘reality gap’ is significant because the survey finds a very clear link between employees who say they are satisfied or very satisfied with their manager and those that are engaged (i.e. willing to go the extra mile for their employer).

Ben Willmott, Head of Public Policy at the CIPD, said that leadership and management capability continues to be an ‘achilles heel’ for UK companies. He explained that, quite often, individuals are promoted into managerial roles because they have good technical abilities but receive inadequate training to carry out the job.