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Why Leaders Won’t Share

The implications for leadership development continuity

1White paper and infographic available at www.bm2b.ca

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The Issue

By 2020, there will be five (5) generational cohorts in the workplace, fifty percent (50%) of the boomer cohort will have retired from full time employment yet less than twenty percent (20%) of our organizations will have developed strategies about how to address this situation. Unfortunately, the math does not work.

From Why Leaders Won’t Share: Implications for Leadership Development Continuity report authored by Donna Stevenson and Faye Wales, 2012.

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Today (%)

Traditional-ists Boomers

Gen XGen Y

05

10152025303540

5

40

2530

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2020 (%)

Tradi-tionalists Boomers Gen X Gen Y Gen Z

0

10

20

30

40

50

1

2220

50

7

4

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The Challenge?

Expertise and knowledge drain as boomers exit from the workforce.

How do we ensure current senior leaders are developing the next generation of leaders?

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The Solution

Keep the expertise by transferring the knowledge and skills.

Make leadership development continuity a key part of the company culture.

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Leadership Development Continuity

1. Senior leaders assume accountability and responsibility for

developing the next generation of leaders.

2. Senior leaders know how to coach and mentor potential leaders.

3. Identification of potential leaders is integral to the culture and an

ongoing process.

4. Building a leadership legacy is encouraged and celebrated so

senior and future leaders are recognized and rewarded for

participating in the leadership development continuity process.7

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Concerns of Senior Leaders

8

Do n

ot e

njoy

men

torin

g or

coac

hing

If th

ey sh

are

thei

r kno

wle

dge,

afr

aid

they

will

no

long

er b

e re

quire

d

They

bel

ieve

no

one

need

s the

ir kn

owle

dge

Not i

nter

este

d in

giv

ing

thei

r kno

wle

dge

away

Oth

er

0102030405060

Reasons why senior leaders will not transfer their knowledge, skills and expertise to future leaders

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Motivators for Senior Leaders

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Org

aniza

tion

sees

skill

s tra

nsfe

r as a

prio

rity

They

will

rece

ive

rew

ard/

reco

gniti

on fo

r doi

ng it

Skill

s tra

nsfe

r par

t of r

etire

men

t pla

nnin

g

They

get

satis

facti

on fr

om te

achi

ng o

ther

s

Reve

rse

men

torin

g in

pla

ce

Oth

er

01020304050607080

Reasons why senior leaders will transfer their knowledge, skills and expertise to future leaders

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Future Leaders’ Needs

‘GenY have an insatiable need for development as well as a high requirement for coaching and mentoring. Early in their careers, compensation and benefits are important along with learning and development.’

From a report titled GenerationY: Inside Out by S. Honore & Dr. Schofiled, Ashbridge Business School

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What to do?• Skills transfer must be a priority – put in place a knowledge

transfer process – a leadership legacy process• Assure senior leaders about continuity of employment and

value associated with their longevity• Recognize, celebrate and reward leadership knowledge

transfer• Train senior leaders how to coach and mentor future leaders• Implement socio-technical mentoring• Offer retirement planning (lifestyle and financial) to senior

leaders • Provide future leaders with access to professional learning and

development opportunities and career advancement. 11

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What is the cost of ‘lost knowledge’?

Conduct a risk assessment• Do your homework, identify what will be lost

and effect on the business and bottom line• compare the costs to the benefits of

implementing a leadership legacy process12

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This is your ‘Demographic gift’ -

OPEN IT!

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dWhy Leaders Won’t ShareThe implications for leadership development continuity

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