Basic leadership skills the key to business success

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"Many CEOs and company owners don't realise that their managers may be the most important cog in the machinery of success," says Carter.

A Gallup poll surveying over one million Americans found that the biggest reason why people leave their jobs is due to a bad boss or direct supervisor. "People leave managers, not companies...In the end, turnover is mostly a manager issue," Gallup stated. It also revealed that poorly managed work groups were about 50% less productive and 44% less profitable than well-managed groups.

Aol estimates that bad bosses cost the US economy around $360m a year in lost productivity - saying their studies show 65% of people would take a new boss over a pay raise.

Ways to intervene

But many managers simply need a helping hand, says Carter. "Especially first-time managers are often thrust into the driver's seat with little or no coaching or training in managing and find themselves overwhelmed by the work at hand."

She quotes the example of people highly skilled at what they do, like a doctor for instance, who is promoted to hospital management or an engineer suddenly finding himself in charge of a municipality. She says that there are simple and effective ways to intervene at the start that can set people up for successful career in leadership.

Lack of confidence in their own abilities, lack of trust in a team and the inability to motivate are key issues, but are fortunately easily addressed on The New Manager short course, says Carter. "On the course we find new ways of collaborating, of getting people to work together more efficiently. We also focus on how to delegate, how to let go and to get others to do the work that the managers previously had to do themselves."