Should Fewer People Pursue Leadership Roles?
Research questions the desirability of leadership, noting high failure rates among managers. Simultaneously, the value of competent followership is increasingly emphasized.
The adage that people join companies but leave bosses reflects a wider issue: leadership does not guarantee effectiveness, and many leaders fail in their roles. Decades of research indicate that traits like narcissism can predict leadership emergence but not effectiveness.
Estimates suggest that up to 50% of corporate managers fail. Confidence in leaders has declined to an all-time low, and investments in leadership development do not appear to improve public faith. Widespread employee disengagement, often stemming from direct supervisors, further highlights the challenge of ineffective leadership.
Conversely, the importance of good followership is being recognized. Smart, aligned followers enhance team performance. In democratic systems, voter maturity and education influence the quality of elected leaders. Furthermore, capable followers can act as a check on poor leadership.
Many individuals pursue leadership for status and success, sometimes without the necessary skills. This aligns with the Peter Principle, where people are promoted to their level of incompetence. Organizations should consider valuing and rewarding exceptional individual contributions as much as leadership positions.