The persistent challenge of poor management: Traditional leadership training Is not enough

Keywords: managers, management, mentalhealth, leadership, sustainablesuccess

Date: 31 March 2025, WorkLife Digital

The impact of ineffective management on employee turnover has been a consistent theme for decades. In 2016, a UK study found that 42% of employees left their jobs due to bad managers, with an additional 30% citing their line manager's lack of essential skills. Fast forward to 2025, and the story remains largely unchanged. The latest Employee Retention Index shows a concerning 6.2-point drop, the largest decline in two years, signalling a potential surge in turnover rates.

The stark truth

A recent survey revealed that a staggering 43% of employees have left a job due to their manager, with 53% of those considering leaving their current positions citing their manager as the primary reason. These numbers underscore a critical truth: poor managerial behaviour significantly impacts employee retention. While traditional leadership training is valuable, it is insufficient if it does not address the underlying mental health risk areas of managers, which can directly affect their leadership effectiveness and workplace dynamics.

Beyond generic leadership training

While general leadership and managerial skills training is essential, it often falls short in addressing the unique psychological attributes that shape each manager's approach. If a manager innately has issues with self-awareness, self-acceptance, healthy narcissism, or autonomy - just a few examples of the many psychological constructs that affect us individually – they may display a range of poor managerial behaviours that can significantly impact their team and organisation. Some of these behaviours include:

Micromanagement: Excessively monitoring and controlling employees' work, leaving little room for independent decision-making.

Emotional volatility: Exhibiting inconsistent behaviour, prone to outbursts and temper tantrums, eroding team trust.

Narcissistic tendencies: Displaying arrogance, self-absorption, and an egotistical need for power and admiration.

Inability to be challenged: Ignoring or discouraging feedback, hindering personal growth and team development.

Blame-shifting: Attributing mistakes to others, creating a negative work environment.

Poor decision-making: Impaired judgment affecting overall team performance.

These behaviours can result in decreased employee engagement, increased stress, lower motivation, and higher turnover rates. The key to breaking this cycle lies in a more personalised psychological approach to leadership development.

The business case for evidence-based assessment of psychological risk factors

Investing in psychological assessments and tailored leadership development is not just a feel-good initiative; it's a strategic business decision. Consider these compelling statistics:

Managers with high emotional intelligence are 60% more likely to achieve superior performance ratings.

Teams led by emotionally intelligent and self-aware managers demonstrate a 20% increase in performance.

74% of Millennial and Gen Z employees would leave their jobs if not given enough opportunities for skills development.

Implementing a psychologically-informed approach

While personality assessments like Myers-Briggs (MBTI) provide valuable insights into workplace behaviours, many lack the depth to identify critical innate psychological risk factors influencing managerial effectiveness. They may focus on observable workplace traits but often miss deeper psychological vulnerabilities. Consequently, a "high-potential" leader might still exhibit destructive behaviours rooted in childhood trauma or maladaptive neural patterns. It's also important to note that leaders and managers who perform well in psychometric tests may have done so during ‘normal times’, however, behaviours may change dramatically during stressful periods. The 2025 DDI Global Leadership Report, based on responses from across more than 50 countries and 24 major industry sectors, reveals that 71% of business leaders have experienced a significant increase in stress since assuming their roles, up from 63% in 2022

Moreover, many junior and middle managers often lack access to psychometric testing and may also face their own mental health challenges. Implementing tools such as WorkLife Quotient (WL-Q) gives individuals insights into their own psychological risk factors and how to address them, as well as how they may impact their managerial style and abilities, providing tools for improvement. WL-Q also highlights psychological strengths or ‘ambassador’ areas - which can also be leveraged to support others in the business.

This approach enables personalised development plans and tailored interventions that address specific areas of improvement or strength – for all managerial levels, regardless of seniority. It also encourages cultural shifts, fostering an environment where psychological well-being and personal development are prioritised.

By adopting this comprehensive strategy, organisations can transform their managers into supportive, accountable leaders who drive employee engagement, retention, and overall business success.

WorkLife Digital is a global mental-wellbeing consultancy driven by the mission to improve the sustainability of businesses. Our psychological wellbeing tool, Worklife Quotient (WL-Q), is modelled on cutting-edge scientific research and provides organisation-wide measurement and intelligence on the mental wellbeing levels and psychological resilience of staff. WL-Q also assesses the impact of organisational practices (i.e. people and culture, leadership styles, organisational purpose and values, social impact) that have a direct influence on staff wellbeing and provides strategic recommendations on addressing risks and promoting strengths.

For more information, get in touch at lisa@worklife.digital

REFERENCES

A survey of employees, conducted by Visier https://www.visier.com/research/resignation-report/