Perception gap highlights importance of leadership development

Corporate executives and managers are, almost by definition, leaders of their respective organizations. However, a concerning amount of these professionals overlook or fail to grasp the importance of strong leadership skills – much less the need to develop such talent in-house.

Being an effective leader requires the articulation of a vision or defining strategy for the company. They also need to help subordinates accomplish goals and assume greater challenges that lead to more significant contributions to the organization.

“The problem is that executives are educated in business functions and only acquire coaching skills on an experiential, trial-by-error basis,” Kirk O'Hara, vice president of consulting services at Executive Career Services, told Smart Business magazine. “Knowing something of coaching skills, roles and procedures can provide the executive with the necessary framework for helping their subordinates develop.”

But there’s an unfortunate byproduct of leadership positions: overconfidence. Managers often assume that because they’ve risen to such a high-level position that they have been instrumental in promoting all levels of innovation, process improvement, employee engagement and other critical factors of business operation. But this is a mistake.

A recent survey by Development Dimensions International found a clear discrepancy between employees’ perception of innovation priorities and that of managerial leaders. According to the report, 39 percent of surveyed staff members said innovation is either a long-shot for their company or a mere “buzzword.” Nearly three quarters of leaders (74 percent), on the other hand, claimed innovation is either a top priority or an absolute imperative for the company.

“Leaders were far more confident in their skills across the board, but employees really felt that there really wasn't room to challenge the status quo,” said Rich Wellins, senior vice president of DDI, in a statement.

“This perception gap is dangerous because the organization's attitude toward innovation is a crucial factor,” Wellins added, “and if employees aren't seeing it, there probably is an alignment issue with in the organization's strategy.”

In all, the report points to the need for organizations to develop their leaders on a continual basis and to do so through internal means and processes. How managers motivate their employees can vary from organization to organization, further underscoring the need for company-specific development strategies.