The #1 Issue My Clients Told Me They’re Having Right Now

Over the last several months, I've had conversations with leaders from private clubs, healthcare organizations, associations, nonprofits, government agencies, schools, and corporations.

Different industries. Different challenges. Different goals.

Yet one issue keeps rising to the top.

Not recruiting. Not retention. Not engagement. Not culture.

When I ask leaders what they're struggling with most right now, the answer is surprisingly consistent:
"We need our leaders to do a better job coaching and developing people."

The challenge is that many leaders were promoted because they were great performers, not because they were taught how to develop others.

As a result, organizations end up with managers who are spending their days putting out fires, solving problems, and carrying the workload instead of building the capabilities of their teams.

And eventually, everyone feels it.

• Employees become frustrated.
• HR becomes overwhelmed.
• High performers leave.
• Leaders burn out.

The irony is that most organizations don't have a people problem.

They have a leadership development problem.

According to Gallup research, managers account for approximately 70% of the variance in employee engagement.

Here are three practical ways to get started.

1. Stop Asking Leaders to Coach if You've Never Taught Them How

Many leaders have never been taught how to ask powerful questions, give meaningful feedback, hold developmental conversations, create growth plans, or help employees solve their own problems.

If coaching is an expectation, training must come first.

2. Make Development Part of the Job, Not an Extra Task

Development often gets treated as something leaders do after their “real work” is finished. The problem is that their work is never finished.

Development has to become part of everyday leadership.

Small moments create big growth over time.

3. Develop Your Leaders Before You Need Them

One of the most expensive mistakes organizations make is waiting until someone gets promoted before investing in leadership development.

The best organizations aren't scrambling to fill leadership gaps. They're intentionally creating future leaders every day.

A Question Worth Considering

If every leader in your organization became 20% better at coaching and developing people over the next year, what impact would that have on engagement, retention, accountability, team performance, and culture?

Leadership Launch: A Resource for Emerging and Developing Leaders

If developing leaders is a priority but creating and delivering a leadership program feels overwhelming, my team and I would love to be a resource. We created Leadership Launch Pad to help organizations build stronger frontline leaders without building the entire program from scratch.

Leadership Launch is a practical leadership development experience designed to help leaders build the confidence, self-awareness, coaching skills, and leadership habits needed to lead others more effectively.

Organizations can bring the program into their company, or individual leaders can participate through a community-based cohort experience.

Let's start building leaders who build other leaders.

Just email me at kelly@thekellymerblercompany.com and I’ll forward you the info!

To Your Growth,

Kelly