Leadership roles are central to an organization’s success. From the executive level to department directors, team managers, and supervisors, each plays a part in guiding personnel, setting goals, and making key decisions that shape the company’s future and employees’ careers.
And yet, organizations often neglect training their new managers, leaving many feeling unprepared to meet the demands of today’s workforce. In a recent survey from the Development Divisions International group, only 11% of organizations report having a “strong” or “very strong” leadership team, the lowest it has been rated in a decade.
So, how can companies better prepare their managers? And how can they successfully implement a management and leadership skills training program that equips them with the necessary skills? This article explores why management training matters and how an AI-powered learning management system (LMS) can make it easier to train your team.
Are we facing a leadership crisis?
The data says yes. Even businesses that invest in leadership development often find that the wider public has lost confidence. Companies are struggling to find leaders with the right mix of skills to navigate today’s complex, fast-moving economy.
As remote work, digital transformation, and rapid market changes redefine the workplace, the need for effective leadership has only intensified. Yet, many managers still lack the critical skills needed to lead in this modern environment.
Today, Millennials and Gen Z are moving into management roles, yet many report feeling unprepared for the responsibilities of leadership. Experienced leaders, on the other hand, find it challenging to adapt to new technologies and workforce expectations.
The result? A skills gap. Many leaders lack training in core areas like communication, empathy, strategic thinking, and change management. This leaves companies vulnerable to low morale, high turnover, and stalled growth.
Training effective leaders is vitally important for employee satisfaction and retention
“People do not leave jobs. They leave managers” is a saying for a reason. Poor leadership can drain morale, lower engagement, reduce productivity, and increase turnover.
Leadership development programs address these potential problems by equipping managers with skills to build trust, communicate effectively, and inspire their teams. When managers create a supportive environment, employees feel valued and understood. Creating pathways for growth and internal advancement further boosts job satisfaction, increasing the likelihood employees will stay.
Engaged employees are more productive and committed to their organization. Leaders trained in engagement strategies know how to recognize achievements, provide clear direction, and foster a positive work culture. Leadership development programs can also help build emotional intelligence, a critical skill for managing and supporting the diverse emotions of a team. When leaders show empathy and create a safe, inclusive environment, employees feel satisfied and stay long-term.
What is the difference between ‘leadership’ and ‘management’ training?
Leaders and managers are both essential to a thriving business, but their roles and skill sets differ. To develop your staff effectively, you must understand which skills to train them in.
Leadership is about strategic vision. You want leaders to create meaningful change by setting the vision for the future and empowering their teams to pursue it. In other words, leaders focus on where the organization needs to find new ways to get there.
In contrast, a manager’s focus is more tactical. Managers creatively organize people and processes to accomplish specific tasks, coordinating actions to achieve set goals. They focus on execution, while leadership drives the creation of these goals and encourages growth and progress.
But here is where they overlap: a manager is a formal position within an organization, while leadership is a quality that can exist at any level, regardless of title. Being a manager doesn’t automatically make someone a leader. Leadership comes from actions that inspire, guide, and engage others through actions.
Effective leadership requires skills like emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and the ability to influence. Managers who embrace these qualities can become leaders in their own right. They create a supportive, purpose-driven work environment, benefiting individual performances and organizational culture.
The importance of building a strong leadership pipeline
Training leaders, whether they’re new to the role or seasoned veterans ensures consistency and strengthens your organization’s leadership. It immerses them in your organization’s values, goals, and procedures, creating a unified approach to leadership across departments.
Effective leadership equips managers with key skills to lead, resolve conflicts, and delegate effectively. Tactical training focuses on daily responsibilities, such as project management, giving feedback, performance management, and running productive meetings. Together, these skills drive productivity and create stronger teams
Well-trained managers also play a vital role in reducing turnover by fostering a supportive workplace culture. This is perhaps the most important quality for establishing a strong leadership pipeline. Managers who foster a supportive workplace help increase employee job satisfaction and retention. Clear communication, insightful feedback, and genuine engagement make employees feel valued and connected.
The challenge then lies in developing a supportive culture that works for a multigenerational workforce. What works for Millennials might be off-putting to veteran Gen Z employees. Every manager will need to lead a diverse workforce. So, how do you give everyone what they need individually?
Customizable tools in your management and leadership style training LMS can help. But tools alone aren’t enough. At its core, solid leadership depends on interpersonal skills—understanding, empathy, and the ability to inspire every member of a diverse team.
How to develop Millennial leaders
Like anyone new to a role, Millennial leaders need guidance on what success looks like and how to achieve it. Mentorship is particularly valuable for Millennials, who often seek continuous feedback. That could include hands-on training, such as shadowing or sitting in on senior meetings, giving them insight into high-level decision-making.
Mentorship also helps Millennials develop interpersonal skills. For a generation accustomed to digital communication, face-to-face leadership skills like active listening, asking impactful questions, and handling tough conversations are essential for managing teams.
And Millennials gain confidence, organizations should offer stretch assignments. These challenges build business acumen and foster strategic thinking.
How to develop Gen Z leaders
Developing Gen Z leaders starts with addressing their skepticism about management roles. 52% of Gen Z professionals are reluctant to take on these responsibilities, often seeing them as high-stress and low-reward. They’re more likely to value autonomy, purposeful work, and self-sufficiency than other generations. So, providing flexible guidance is essential, allowing Gen Z to gradually build leadership skills through hands-on learning.
Modular training tools are crucial. Rather than rigid training programs, digital, self-paced resources and interactive workshops let Gen Z professionals build skills at their own speed. This low-pressure approach supports their preference for autonomy while developing essential management skills. Flexible training also reduces stress and makes leadership more appealing while focusing on purpose-driven development.
Assign projects that align with their values and showcase the positive impact of strong leadership. By connecting leadership to meaningful work, you can help Gen Z see management as a rewarding path, not just a source of stress.
How to develop emerging talent
Identifying and nurturing emerging talent early is key to building a strong leadership pipeline. Organizations need to focus on providing structured yet flexible development opportunities. Combining the approaches for Millennial and Gen Z employees works well for shaping talent of any age.
Pairing new talent with mentors is a valuable approach, offering them real-world insights on business and a trusted resource for questions they might not ask through traditional channels. Shadowing senior leaders and participating in hands-on projects provide a front-row seat to decision-making within your organization.
Cross-functional projects help build essential skills in collaboration and adaptability. Regular feedback sessions from senior leaders also support growth by setting clear, actionable goals. Encouraging participation in networking events and company-wide meetings broadens their perspective and creates valuable connections that shape their career path.
How to develop mid-level managers into leaders
Mid-level managers are ready for challenges that push them beyond their comfort zone. Rotational leadership assignments across departments can expand their perspective and build cross-functional knowledge. Involving them in innovation or strategic projects, especially those with real risks and rewards, boosts confidence, resilience, and creative thinking.
Peer-learning groups are another effective tool. These structured forums allow managers to exchange insights, learn from one another, encourage continuous growth, and build relationships within the leadership pipeline.
Delivering management and leadership skills training via your LMS
An LMS is a powerful tool for developing managers and leaders. It provides tailored learning experiences to build essential skills. That is, given the right content and tools.
- Course libraries: An LMS with curated course libraries offers specialized content on key topics like leadership fundamentals, conflict resolution, and strategic planning.
- AI-powered personalized learning paths: AI-driven learning paths tailor content to each learner’s needs. They deliver material quickly for impactful, meaningful learning aligned with company goals. AI adapts materials and cadence based on the progress and preferences of the learner.
- Course authoring: With generative AI, your LMS can create customized, business-relevant executive leadership courses in minutes, keeping management and leadership skills training up-to-date and engaging.
- Interactive and accessible learning: Interactive features, like quizzes and role-playing exercises, foster active participation, which is one of the best methods to learn highly contextual concepts in leadership. Accessibility tools also ensure an inclusive experience for all learning styles and needs.
Build a strong pipeline of future leaders to drive your business forward
By investing in your people's development, you support individual growth and create a steady progression of skilled, capable leaders. An AI-powered LMS platform is the ideal solution to deliver this training at scale. It offers tailored, high-quality content that meets the diverse needs of your future leaders. An AI-enabled LMS ensures that each manager receives relevant, impactful leadership style training aligned with company goals.
Absorb is a strategic learning system built to deliver engaging learning experiences and develop a rich learning environment. In turn, this platform helps you retain and build both seasoned and emerging top talent. Your LMS offers a suite of pre-made content libraries and course creation features so you can build the skills teams need to excel in leadership.
