Why is leading others so difficult?

Because people are complex. They come with different backgrounds, needs, motivations and fears. Getting them aligned takes more than goals, results and follow-ups.

It requires that you:

• build trust,
• are clear and consistent,
• are present, listening fully – and between the lines,
• and dare to address issues and stay in uncomfortable conversations.

A study by Crucial Learning shows that two-thirds of new managers find leadership significantly harder than expected. More than half said they received little or no training to prepare for the role. Poor leadership rarely stems from bad intent – more often from lack of knowledge, inexperience and sometimes poor self-awareness.

Think about it: would you install a new IT system or introduce a new machine without training? Yet this is exactly what many organizations do when appointing new managers. For example, a successful expert is promoted to a leadership role with staff responsibility – without further training.

The most common stumbling blocks for leaders

• Lack of time: “I don’t have time to build relationships.”
• Communication gaps: Messages are repeated, repeated, repeated – yet still don’t land.
• Lack of feedback: When it’s given, it’s often perceived as criticism or clumsy.
• Poor delegation: Tasks remain stuck with the manager.
• Fear of conflict: Discomfort is avoided – until it explodes.

The result? Leaders burn out, employees disengage, and the organization loses out through inefficiency, high turnover and a culture that stifles innovation – in other words: poor results.

The key – relationships, clarity and trust

Leading others successfully means:

• knowing yourself, your people and your team – seeing the individual behind the role,
• communicating the why, not just the what – through dialogue, not monologue,
• building trust through consistency, fairness and transparency,
• giving genuine, spontaneous positive feedback,
• adapting your leadership – one size does not fit all.

The command-and-control era – “do as I say, why? because I said so” – is dead. So is the time when leaders were feared. Or is it?

In short: results are created through people and relationships – not spreadsheets.

Invest in all your managers and leaders – not just a few

Recently, I’ve seen organizations invest enormous amounts in training – but only for one or a few top executives.

Training is always good, but here’s my challenge to you: Why spend €100,000 on developing one or two leaders, when you could instead give 25 managers a shared, long-term program – a common culture, a shared toolkit and a common language? On top of that, you create a strong, supportive network across boundaries, harnessing the unique strengths of each individual.

And it doesn’t stop there. Combine this with individual support from a “thinking partner” – a professional coach – and every leader gets the chance to find their inner compass, tackle personal challenges and set measurable goals.

When leadership across the organization operates at the same high level and is rolled out collectively, a powerful leverage effect is created. The result? A shared leadership culture that strengthens the organization and allows new leaders to land softly in their role.

Our tools to strengthen leadership in practice

Theory is important – but real change requires training, reflection and action. That’s why our tools always combine knowledge with practice: