Some people — okay, most people — are pitched into the leadership fray without really knowing how to perform. Some have the potential to lead and have demonstrated great technical expertise. But few naturally possess the leadership skillset to be successful right out of the chute. And unfortunately, studies show most organizations don’t provide much help in the way of training leaders. So before you decide if not training leaders is reasonable, it’s good to know the risks.

Not Training Leaders? Here’s What You’re Risking.

So what do organizations risk by not training leaders? Just to name a few, they risk costs that come from:

• Low productivity.
• Poor morale and employee retention.
• Missed targets.
• Missed opportunities.
• Compliance, regulatory, and liable actions like harassment or discrimination. (It only takes ONE mistake by an untrained leader for those costs to get really BIG — really FAST!)
• Reduced profit margins and lower ROI.

To that last point, Huffington Post reports that companies investing $1500 or more per employee per year on training average 24% higher profit margins than companies with lower yearly training investments.

Not Training Leaders & Untrained Surgeons

When I’m talking with senior management teams about their leadership issues, I often make this comment:

Giving power to untrained managers is like giving them scalpels and telling them to do surgery. It’s risky.

To illustrate the point, let’s consider a scenario about training leaders from my book, Leaders Ought to Know: 11 Ground Rules for Common Sense Leadership.

Singling out two training participants at random — I’ll call them Jack and Janet — the exercise unfolds like this:

Me speaking to the entire group:

“Folks, you’re probably not aware of it, but we have an individual with us today who has a hidden dream. Jack, here, has always wanted to be a surgeon. Ever since he was a little boy, he has fantasized about being able to save lives and help people with desperate physical needs. You may not have known this about Jack because he’s a relatively private person. But this has been Jack’s dream nevertheless. Isn’t that right, Jack?”

Though slightly suspicious, Jack good-naturedly plays along. Others in the room are usually snickering by now, possibly considering the far-fetched nature of such a possibility. I continue:

“Earlier today, Jack decided to finally act on his dream of becoming a surgeon. He drove down to the local medical center and proceeded to the surgical unit. Once there, Jack walked purposefully past the ‘No Admittance: Authorized Medical Personnel Only’ signs and made his way directly into the surgical prep room, where he came face-to-face with that famous surgeon, Dr. Van Hooser—me—who had just finished scrubbing up for a waiting surgical patient.”

I identify myself as the famous surgeon to the laughter of the group, including Jack. Janet is enjoying the activity, along with the others, oblivious to the fact that she will soon be drawn into this unfolding scenario as an unwitting participant. 

“‘Who are you?’ I ask, as Jack enters my operating room.

“‘Jack,’ he answers simply.

“‘No, young man, you don’t understand. I don’t really care who you are. I want to know—who do you think you are barging into my operating room uninvited?’

“‘I’m sorry, Dr. Van Hooser, sir,’ Jack explains. ‘I’m here because I’ve always wanted to be a surgeon. I know I can do it. I know I can be successful. All I need is a chance. I need someone—you—to give me a chance to prove myself.’

“‘Have you ever been to med school?’ I ask pointedly.

“‘No, sir, but I want to be a surgeon.’

“‘Have you ever taken any anatomy or physiology classes?’

“‘No, sir, but I really want to be a surgeon.’

“‘Have you ever been in a real surgical situation, even observing an actual surgery in progress?’

“‘No, sir, but I really want to be a surgeon and I’m willing to try.’”

“‘Young man, don’t ask me to explain why I’m about to do what I’m about to do. But for some reason, my gut is telling me that you might just make it as an acceptable surgeon one day. Therefore, this is what I want you to do right now. Here’s my scalpel. Take it. Now, there’s a patient prepped and waiting on the other side of this door. Her name is Janet.’”

Janet’s attention is immediately arrested. Laughter ensues as the audience begins to anticipate what happens next. Everyone is laughing now, except Janet.

“‘I want you to go through that door and attempt to remove Janet’s appendix. If she makes it through the surgery, we can discuss the possibility of sending you off to med school sometime in the future so you can actually learn what you should know to be a surgeon.’”

Laughter intensifies. Finally, turning my full attention now to Janet, I ask:

“‘So, Janet, how are you feeling right about now?’

“‘Not too good! I think I want another opinion,’ says Janet.”

The room is fully engulfed in laughter now, including Jack and Janet. Once the laughter dies down, I make the following learning points.

“Folks, I think we all agree that the scenario I’ve just created is ridiculous, regardless the angle from which you might evaluate it. It’s absurd to imagine, whether you are in Jack’s shoes, Dr. Van Hooser’s shoes, and especially if you’re in Janet’s shoes. Agreed?

The audience agrees.

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Ridiculous But Not Rare

As ridiculous as it may seem, similar situations happen virtually every day in organizations across America and around the world.

On a daily basis, organizations entrust their future to genuinely dedicated individuals who sincerely want to do well but who have received no specialized training or preparation and have not an inkling as to how to effectively lead, influence, and impact people to accomplish organizational goals such as productivity, profitability, quality, and safety.

We are giving untrained, unqualified individuals a scalpel, in the form of the power of the position, without training leaders how to use it. And then we encourage them to go “do surgery” on their departments and on their employees.

At the very same time, the employees on the other side of the door are waiting — even longing — for qualified supervisors, managers, and leaders to emerge to help them with the challenges they’re facing. The same challenges they will never be able to overcome alone. They’re desperately searching for someone who knows how to lead and can do so effectively. They’re looking for someone to follow.

So is not training leaders a risky practice? Is training leaders an expendable activity? Ultimately, your answer will depend on how much you’re willing to risk.

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