A rising tide lifts all boats. Developing leaders and managers together.

We're best known for leadership development. Our clients tell us we design and facilitate the most engaging leadership development programmes on the planet.

But over the last 8 to 12 months, we've had increasing requests to develop managers in the middle of the business too.

And it makes sense. An investment in leadership will raise the game. Investing in the people they lead as well is transformational.

The evidence is hard to argue with. Gallup estimates that managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores across business units. Not compensation. Not perks. Not the mission statement on the wall. The manager.

And engagement isn't a soft metric. Gallup's 2024 data shows organisations with highly engaged teams enjoy 21% higher profitability and 59% lower turnover.

Here's the stat that should stop every HRD in their tracks. Gallup finds that about one in ten people possesses high natural talent to manage. Another two in ten exhibit some of the characteristics and can function at a high level, but only if their company invests in coaching and development for them.

Read that again. Two in ten of your managers can become genuinely excellent. But only if you invest in them properly.

So why are so many management and leadership programmes created in isolation?

Why are we willing to send senior leaders off to a posh business school with no real requirement to demonstrate the impact of the enormous investment, yet our management community, whose job is to line manage and get the most from the majority of our people, are given off-the-shelf 'just in time' learning that isn't really learning?

How connected are the dots in your leadership and management development? Want to learn more about how we can work with you to develop your senior leaders? Email me at richard@twentyoneleadership.com. Want to learn more about our two management development programmes, The Shift and The Manager Hothouse? Email Matt at matt@twentyoneleadership.com. Want to know how they can work together in your organisation? Email us both. We would love to have that conversation.