The myth of the “natural manager”: when promotion is not enough
All too often, becoming a manager is seen as a logical progression: a high-performing employee, recognized for their technical skills or seniority, is promoted to a supervisory position. The problem? Neither expertise nor seniority guarantees the ability to mobilize, influence, unite, arbitrate, communicate, grow, and be accountable (this list is not exhaustive). However, these responsibilities are not innate and cannot be acquired by osmosis.
This is all the more unfortunate given that today's managers are faced with a profoundly transformed work environment: hybrid models, economic uncertainty, accelerated pace, successive reorganizations, a growing quest for meaning, new generational expectations, etc. The traditional management framework no longer applies. Despite this fact, we too often continue to perpetuate ways of doing and being that belong to another era.
This situation has harmful effects:
- on the morale of managers themselves, who may feel incompetent, overwhelmed, or alone.
- on their teams, who suffer from their clumsiness, hesitation, or authoritarianism.
- on the organization, which sees its performance, engagement, and talent retention erode.
As you can see, a manager who has not learned their job can be costly.
Developing management skills: an essential that is still too often overlooked
Organizations invest in sophisticated software, increasingly powerful equipment, promising restructuring... without offering a real development path to those who are supposed to guide people through these transformations.
When you ask around, it is not uncommon to find that many managers have not received any training to help them in their role, even many years after taking up their position! A study by Harvard Business Review reveals that managers receive their first leadership training... on average 10 years after taking up their first position. Ten years! Can we imagine entrusting an airplane to someone who has not been trained, thinking that they will learn on the job? Of course not! So how can we entrust the leadership of a team to someone without also providing them with the basic tools of the trade? Yet this is what many managers experience on a daily basis.
Why more and more employees are refusing management roles
There was a time when it was almost unthinkable to imagine that management positions might not be sought after or popular, and yet... more and more employees, particularly in Generation Z, are now turning down these positions, mainly because the price to pay is high: mental overload, unclear responsibilities, constant pressure, feelings of isolation. And, too often, a lack of recognition or support.
This growing disinterest in management roles is not a crisis of vocation: it is a wake-up call. It reflects a devaluation of the function, a precariousness of the role, and a lack of vision in the organization of work.
What concrete actions can be taken to support and develop managers?
Stop saying that the role is crucial and take concrete action:
- Anticipate new appointments by preparing future managers before they are appointed.
- Offer a genuine development path, not just a one-off workshop.
- Focus on developing soft skills , not just tools and procedures.
- Create spaces for support and reflection for managers: mentoring, co-development, supervision, coaching.
- Adjust working conditions to allow for real quality of presence, not perpetual emergency management.
Above all, recognize that managers deserve more than to navigate uncertainty alone. Giving them the means to learn their new job, evolve, and take care of themselves is a strategic move, not a luxury.
The new profile of the manager: agility and relational intelligence
Managers are no longer defined solely by their ability to plan, control, or make decisions. With (sometimes) fragmented teams, a more horizontal hierarchy, and employees who no longer recognize authority, managers are expected to:
- Create a healthy work environment (trust, physical and psychological safety, clear framework).
- Embody a healthy interpersonal approach: listening, feedback, authenticity, transparency.
- Support rather than direct: by revealing talents and promoting autonomy in each individual.
- Take care of their own well-being, in order to better take care of others.
- Know how to set boundaries, ask for help, and recognize their vulnerabilities.
In short, it is an approach that combines operational expertise with interpersonal skills; a balance that cannot be improvised, but which can (and must) be learned, practiced, and adjusted with the right guidance.
This “new” role is meaningful and rewarding, provided that organizations stop isolating it and that individuals are equipped to succeed in it without burning out.
Learning the real lessons: revaluing the role of manager with courage and consistency
It is no longer enough to say that the role of managers is crucial. It is time to draw concrete conclusions: move away from the myth of promotion based on technical merit, offer sustainable benchmarks rather than quick fixes, and support a more human, more grounded, and more conscious leadership style. This requires organizational choices, but also training and development paths that are commensurate with the challenges.
The good news is that this shift is possible, and it often begins with the courage to do things differently.
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