Do You Need To Invest In Leadership Training?

It seems there are few things that upset employees more than a poor manager – and it’s easy to understand why given the capacity they have to make your life difficult.

Now a study by ILM has revealed that over one-quarter (28 per cent) of UK workers don’t believe they have a trustworthy and inspirational leader. In addition, the research found that 53 per cent of people would consider leaving their current job unless things change at their firm.

Worryingly, 24 per cent of those questioned also said their leaders cause them stress and given all the negative impacts we know this can have both on people’s personal and professional lives, it’s something all companies should strive to avoid.

One option to help reduce people’s stress is to switch off from electronic devices that connect you to your emails or other work business outside of office hours, with a number of Guardian readers recently highlighting the importance of turning off.

For businesses that feel they need to do some work in this area, leadership development courses may be one option.

In fact, it was one of the main things that both employees and employers would like to happen in the coming year, with both groups citing a need for increased investment in training and development.

The top suggestion for tackling leadership issues is for those in leadership roles to spend more time on the shop floor, so to speak, to ensure they understand the challenges faced by employees on every level.

Group director at ILM John Yates explained that leadership skills shouldn’t just be confined to those at the top of the business.

“With significant changes on the horizon, organisations need to be empowering people at every level with leadership skills if they want to remain competitive,” he stated.