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Abstract: This article explores the underlying reasons why many managers struggle to effectively lead their teams, despite holding a managerial title. The key factors identified include a lack of formal management training, low self-awareness, failure to adopt a coaching mindset, and insufficient organizational support systems. The article recommends that organizations address these gaps by establishing managerial training standards, integrating self-awareness exercises, cultivating a coaching culture, and providing dedicated leadership development resources. Drawing on a case study of Hilton Hotels' successful people manager training program, the article concludes that prioritizing robust leadership development is critical for companies seeking to drive enhanced employee and customer outcomes in today's competitive talent landscape.
A common complaint heard across industries is that many managers simply don't know how to effectively manage their teams. Employees often cite issues with lack of clear communication, poor leadership skills, and inability to develop and mentor direct reports.
Today we will seek to unpack the real underlying reasons why so many find themselves ill-equipped for managerial roles, despite holding the title.
Lacking Formal Training
Research has shown that the top reason so many managers struggle is lack of proper training and preparation for their new responsibilities (Den Hartog et al., 2004). While technical or subject matter expertise may have landed one the promotion, management requires an entirely different skill set. Relying solely on on-the-job experience means leaders are "flying blind" and learning leadership through trial and mostly error (Day, 2000).
Most organizations simply promote high performers into managerial roles with little consideration for true managerial competencies or providing formal development opportunities (Barling et al., 1996). However, managing people is a specialized discipline that requires its own focused training, just as other technical jobs do. Without establishing baseline management competencies and training protocols, businesses set their emerging leaders up to fail (Mintzberg, 2004).
Lack of Self-Awareness
Another key factor impacting manager effectiveness is lack of self-awareness (Goleman, 2004). Many promoted into leadership roles have strong hard skills but lower emotional intelligence which impacts how they relate to and develop others. Without understanding one's own strengths, weakness, values and leadership style preferences, a manager cannot optimize their approach or meet the diverse needs of their team.
Through multi-rater/360 degree feedback tools, coaching and introspective exercises, leaders gain greater self-insight which allows adaptation of behaviors to have maximum positive influence. Organizations that build self-awareness development into leadership training produce managers attuned to their impact and better equipped to motivate varied personalities (Wolff et al., 2002).
Failure to Adopt a Coaching Mindset
Additionally, many leaders still see their role as purely supervisory and evaluative rather than developmental (Heslin & van Knippenberg, 2019). Rather than taking on the mantle of coach, they continue behaving as individual contributors focused mainly on tasks. The most effective managers understand their primary functions are growing others' capabilities, cultivating engagement and potential (Ellinger et al., 2011).
Adopting a coaching stance where direct reports are valued partners in success requires intentional practice of active listening, asking thoughtful questions, providing constructive feedback and jointly setting goals (Heslin & van Knippenberg, 2019). Leaders must make the mental switch from directing work to facilitating learning and performance. Organizations that cultivate coaching competencies see hard and soft returns from individuals achieving more with less oversight (Ellinger et al., 2011).
Lacking Organizational Support
Finally, a barrier impacting many leaders' ability to excel is lack of organizational support systems (Carter et al., 2013). Even with the best of intentions, managers struggle without access to resources, training opportunities and guidance aligned with their people management responsibilities. Leadership roles require different priorities yet performance metrics often remain focused on individual production levels.
Providing mentors, communities of practice, resources like leadership competency models, continuing education and adjusted performance criteria is crucial for helping managers learn and sustain essential skills over the long-term. Organizations neglecting to support manager growth at a systemic level are leaving key talent development to chance (Carter et al., 2013).
Recommendations for Organizational Action
Based on the research into reasons for managerial unpreparedness, the following recommendations provide tangible steps for organizations seeking to bolster current and future leadership effectiveness:
Establish Managerial Training Standards:
Define core management competencies tailored to roles/levels
Require baseline training curriculum covering people skills, processes, systems before/within first year of promotion
Ongoing educational requirements focused on developing others, change leadership, strategic thinking
Integrate Self-Awareness Training:
Mandate multi-rater feedback as part of promotions/performance reviews
Provide coaching to help leaders understand leadership preferences, strengths, development areas
Encourage self-reflective journaling, introspective exercises
Cultivate a Coaching Culture:
Train people managers in active listening, powerful questioning, providing feedback skills
Shift performance criteria and one-on-ones to focus on growth over tasks
Model and reinforce the importance of developing direct reports
Establish Leader Support Systems:
Assign mentors/advisers for people managers
Provide consistent access to leadership resources, guides
Offer leadership communities and mastermind groups
Adjust goals and metrics to value talent development outcomes
Case Study: How Hilton Hotels Developed Strong People Managers
As a global hospitality brand with over 5,500 properties worldwide, Hilton recognized the strategic importance of establishing a consistent approach to leadership that would scale across regions, cultures and generations. After benchmarking industry exemplars, they designed the Hilton University Leadership Experience (HULe) program focused entirely on cultivating people managers equipped for current and future business challenges.
HULe features baseline and advanced manager training covering skills like emotional intelligence, change leadership, mentoring and performance management. In-depth assessments identify strengths and development areas to personalize coaching. A 360 review process provides ongoing self and team feedback. Frontline leaders participate in learning communities to share best practices and problem-solve challenges faced across franchise hotels.
To support application of concepts, HULe blends virtual and in-person interactive modules. Regional "Master Class" workshops allow peer-to-peer learning and access to senior leader insights. Additionally, adjusted performance metrics reward talent development outcomes over operational quotas alone.
Hilton attributes increased retention rates, higher guest satisfaction scores and surge in internal promotions to HULe graduates' enhanced people skills, engagement and ability to maximize individual potential. The standardized approach across global markets strengthens Hilton's well-known hospitality culture and high-quality guest experience worldwide.
Conclusion
For organizations seeking a competitive advantage in today's tight labor markets, focusing attention on leadership talent development has never been more imperative. The research is clear – lack of proper training, awareness and support structures leave many new managers unprepared to effectively motivate and develop high-performing teams. By integrating formal managerial training standards, self-reflection, coaching mindsets and ongoing resources, companies like Hilton have demonstrated how nurturing people management capabilities drives enhanced employee and customer outcomes. Organizations neglecting to thoughtfully develop current and emerging leaders risk diminished results and higher costs from talent attrition. Prioritizing robust people manager growth programs will better set companies up to achieve strategic objectives now and in future.
References
Barling, J., Weber, T., & Kelloway, E. K. (1996). Effects of transformational leadership training on attitudinal and financial outcomes: A field experiment. Journal of applied psychology, 81(6), 827.
Carter, M. Z., Armenakis, A. A., Field, H. S., & Mossholder, K. W. (2013). Transformational leadership, relationship quality, and employee performance during continuous incremental organizational change. Journal of organizational behavior, 34(7), 942-958.
Day, D. V. (2000). Leadership development: A review in context. Leadership quarterly, 11(4), 581-613.
Den Hartog, D. N., Van Muijen, J. J., & Koopman, P. L. (2004). Transactional versus transformational leadership: An analysis of the MLQ.
Ellinger, A. D., Hamlin, R. G., & Beattie, R. S. (2011). Behavioural indicators of ineffective managerial coaching: A cross‐national study. Journal of European Industrial Training.
Goleman, D. (2004). What makes a leader?. Harvard business review, 82(1), 82-91.
Heslin, P. A., & van Knippenberg, D. (2019). Boundary Conditions for the Development of Self-Leadership Through Coaching. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies.
Mintzberg, H. (2004). Managers, not MBAs: A hard look at the soft practice of managing and management development. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Wolff, S. B., Pescosolido, A. T., & Druskat, V. U. (2002). Emotional intelligence as the basis of leadership emergence in self-managing teams. The leadership quarterly, 13(5), 505-522.
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2025). Understanding the Real Reason Why So Many Managers Don't Know How to Manage. Human Capital Leadership Review, 18(4). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.18.4.1
