Most Leaders Ignore Leadership—Here’s Why (and What You Can Do About It)

The surprising truth about why leadership takes a backseat—and how real leaders rise above the noise.

Let’s be honest. Most leaders—nearly 70%—don’t actively invest in their leadership development. Not because they’re bad people, but because the system makes it easy to focus on everything except leading well.

Here’s why.

1. The Unintentional Leader: Promotions Based on Performance, Not Leadership

A great individual performer gets promoted to leadership. What could go wrong?

• The top salesperson becomes a manager—because selling and leading are the same, right? Nope!

• The best engineer gets promoted—because technical skills automatically mean strong delegation and communication. Of course not!

The reality? Over 60% of managers feel unprepared for leadership roles yet receive little to no formal leadership training (DDI, 2021). My research found that millennial managers often lack critical soft skills like interpersonal communication, decision-making, and relationship-building before assuming leadership positions.

This issue ties directly into Chan & Drasgow’s Motivation to Lead model, which suggests that not all individuals accept leadership roles because they want to lead—some do so for external rewards or status rather than a genuine desire to develop people.

The problem? When leadership isn’t a calling but an obligation, it shows in their performance.

💡 Stop assuming leadership is a reward for high performance. Promote based on emotional intelligence, decision-making, and people development—not just job performance.

2. The Overloaded Leader: Burnout Kills Development

Middle managers absorb pressure from all sides while juggling impossible workloads. And somehow, they’re still expected to develop as leaders.

Sure. Okay. They can "grow" right after they:

😵 Manage unrealistic goals.

🥱 Sit through endless meetings.

🤕 Put out daily fires.

63% of managers feel burned out (Gallup). My research shows that without support, leaders operate in survival mode, prioritizing tasks over leadership growth. Many report feeling as if they are expected to "figure it out" while balancing unrealistic workloads—which ultimately leads to disengagement.

While emotional intelligence can help leaders manage stress, sustained burnout erodes engagement.

💡 Leadership development shouldn’t be optional. When you’re just trying to stay afloat, growth isn’t exactly top of mind. Support leaders before they check out—or quit.

3. The Cultural Gap: Leadership Isn’t in the Company’s DNA

Some companies treat leadership development like New Year’s resolutions—great in theory but rarely followed through. In many cases, leadership just isn’t in their DNA—from the top down.

🚩 Signs that leadership isn't in the gene pool:

• Leadership is often treated as an afterthought, not a priority.

• No structured training or mentorship.

• Short-term wins over long-term development.

Even if the signs are there, things can turn around. Microsoft’s leadership culture was once rigid and individualistic—until Satya Nadella made leadership development a priority. His

4. The Passionate Few: The 30% Who Treat Leadership Like a Craft

Most leaders lead because they have to. A select few lead because they want to. Those that want to:

✓ They seek mentorship and coaching.

✓ They hold themselves accountable.

✓ They prioritize trust, EQ, and strategic vision.

Despite the impact of great leadership, only 30% of leaders actively develop their skills (HBR). My research found that higher emotional intelligence drives continuous leadership growth.

These leaders are rare. And if companies don’t recognize and support them, they either burn out, leave, or become the lone example of good leadership in a sea of disengagement.

💡 Find these leaders early. Develop them. Promote them. Because if leadership is going to improve, it won’t be because of the majority—it’ll be because of them.

Are you leading or just surviving?

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