The Accidental Manager and Team Burnout
If you feel like your management layer is more of a mushy middle than a powerhouse, you’re not alone. I’ve been seeing it repeatedly over the years, and the data supports it. Recent Gartner research shows a startling disconnect: only 35% of HR leaders are satisfied with their mid-level managers. Even worse? Only 38% of employees actually like their boss, and less than half trust them. The problem isn't necessarily that people are bad at managing—it’s that they don’t actually want the job.
The Rise of the Reluctant Manager
Most of us have seen the typical corporate ladder in some form like this: keep moving up until you hit the manager rungs. Then, you keep going up, but only as a manager, or, you stagnate your career. We take our best individual performers, give them a team, and think “they’re a high performer, so they will do great!”
The result? As many as 82% of managers are “accidental” managers, including 25% of senior leaders, and the impacts are staggering. The Chartered Management Institute found that employees dissatisfied with their managers are not just dissatisfied with their jobs compared to those with effective managers by a 3-to-1 ratio, but are significantly more likely to leave within the year. Moreover, managers themselves can feel less engaged with the work, proving less effective in leading their teams to drive results.
So, how do you stop the reluctant manager problem?
Stop the "Surprise" Promotion
Most management selection is backward-looking. We promote people because they were great at their previous job, not because they’ll be great at the new one.
To prevent reluctant managers from taking the keys, start having the conversation early to demystify the role.
Simulate the Stress: Give candidates a taste of the “manager” stuff—workload prioritization, difficult performance reviews, and budget calibration.
Provide Mentorship: Only 26% of managers get to talk to a peer about the realities of the job before starting. Change that. Pair them with a current manager for some "real talk."
The Safe Off-Ramp: Create a culture where a candidate can say, "Actually, I’ve seen the job and it’s not for me," without it being a career-killer.
Diagnose the Reluctance
If you already have managers who seem checked out, they are not yet a lost cause. Figure out if their reluctance is addressable (they’re just overwhelmed) or entrenched (they fundamentally hate the work). Talk to your leader to see if they are frustrated with some current but temporary challenge, or with a challenge that is inherent to the role. Are some functions dull or perhaps awkward? Or do they make your leader uncomfortable?
Your leaders may need coaching to learn how to apply new skills to their new role. Or perhaps they need help establishing new habits that makes the admin of management quicker and easier.
The Bottom Line
When a manager doesn’t want to be there, everyone knows it. But when a manager is engaged, they are four times more likely to be high contributors, and those efforts cascade to their teams, in turn developing better future leaders. Investing in a selection process that ensures people actually want the job isn't just "nice to have"—it’s a retention strategy.
Facing this problem with your company? Let’s set up some time to discuss how you can help!
