Solving Your Leadership Gap

Tips for Developing New Leaders

By Tom Roth

One of the most alarming current global business trends points to one of the most tantalizing business opportunities.

As baby boomers retire, the ranks of managers and supervisors are being depleted. Organizations are also losing the wisdom carried by experience, hard-won repositories of technical knowledge, and personal case studies of problem-solving. Further, networks of professional contacts that aided internal and external collaboration, innovation, and team performance are gradually diminished and weakened as baby boomers exit the workplace.

Most organizations, by their own report, are not doing enough to address this impending short supply of internal leadership.

From the perspective of millennials and members of post-baby boom demographics, this leadership vacuum is disempowering and frustrating. When leadership is ad hoc and constantly churning, it is difficult to win resources and commitment for projects or plans that extend beyond the organization’s current [fiscal year, or even shorter] event horizon.

It Begins with a Shift in Focus

If your organization is one of the 94% of global businesses that admit to not doing enough to secure the leadership future of the organization, you’re probably wondering what it will take, what it will look like, and where to begin to create an internal context that assures the ongoing development of leadership.

It begins with an understanding of the fundamental transformation that must take place as “high performers” become team leaders, supervisors, and first-time managers.

This demands expanding beyond knowledge acquisition and skill development. It affects the head, hands, and heart of every high performer who successfully makes the transition to effective leadership.

Most organizations, by their own report, are not doing enough to address this impending short supply of internal leadership.

Tom Roth

“Tom Roth is Chief Operating Officer of Wilson Learning Worldwide Inc. (U.S.) and President of Wilson Learning Worldwide Inc. (Japan). With over 40 years of experience in developing and implementing human performance improvement solutions, Mr. Roth looks after the strategic direction and business performance of Wilson Learning Worldwide Inc. operations. He also leads the global marketing services and R&D solutions groups.

Mr. Roth assists global executive leadership teams with issues related to employee engagement, leadership development, strategy alignment, and business transformation. He is co-author of the books – ‘Unplugged: How Organizations Lose Their Energy and How to Get It Back’ and ‘Creating the High-Performance Team’. He is also a frequent speaker at national conferences and client events.”