If Managers Don’t Develop Their People, Who Does?

I’ve always believed that developing people is part of a manager’s job. It happens through the work they allocate, the questions they ask and the conversations they make time for.

Yet LinkedIn’s 2025 Workplace Learning Report found that only 15% of employees said their manager had helped them build a career plan in the previous six months. That leaves plenty of room for improvement.

Look Beyond Today’s To-Do List

It’s understandable that managers focus on immediate delivery. There are deadlines, problems and people needing answers.

But when every conversation centres on today’s tasks, we miss opportunities to build tomorrow’s capability.

Who could take on something new? Who needs encouragement to stretch? Who has potential that nobody has properly explored?

These questions deserve space alongside the usual progress updates.

Coach People to Take Ownership

One thing I keep coming back to is how easily managers become the person with all the answers.

It feels helpful. It gets things moving. But it can also create dependency.

Developing talent means knowing when to step back, ask a useful question and let someone work through their thinking. It means delegating with clear expectations, then providing support without taking the task back.

People need opportunities to practise, make decisions and reflect on what they’ve learned.

Give Managers the Support to Develop Others

I created The Shift because these everyday management behaviours need deliberate development.

We cannot assume that being technically excellent prepares someone to coach, recognise potential or have a meaningful career conversation.

Managers need practice, feedback and support from their own leaders. They also need development to count when their performance is reviewed.

If we want stronger talent pipelines, we should start with a simple question: are our managers helping people grow through the work they do every day?

Contact me today matt@twentyoneleadership.com