The document summarizes research from a whitepaper by Badenoch & Clark on barriers to career progression toward senior leadership. It finds that many professionals lack adequate support from their employers to develop leadership experience and advance. In particular, those aged 34-49 feel frustrated by the lack of opportunities, and women believe men have greater access to support structures. While large companies offer some programs, leadership experience is widely seen as both most essential for senior roles but also a chief limitation. Overall, the research suggests employers could do more to foster future leaders through clear career paths, training, mentoring, and tailored support at all stages of employees' careers.

1. www.badenochandclark.com
The path to
senior leadership
June 2014 A Badenoch & Clark whitepaper

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Contents
03
06
04
08
12
10
Overview
Differences between the sectors
UK professionals left to flounder
Leadership experience essential
to progression
Women believe men have greater access
to support
34-49 year olds frustrated
by lack of support
14 Creating future leaders
16 Contact us

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Overview
In today’s globally competitive economy, the
value of nurturing high performers has never
been greater. With the war for talent at an all
time high, savvy business leaders are saving
themselves valuable time, money and energy by
focusing on the development of internal talent,
rather than relying on recruitment alone.
By carving a clear career path for employees
with the potential to progress, organisations are
effectively securing their own futures. But how
many employers are actually providing the sort
of support, guidance and encouragement needed
by professionals on their journey to the top?
And what’s standing in the way of these
promising employees when it comes to
furthering their careers?
About the research: In May 2014 Badenoch and Clark commissioned independent research of over
1,000 professionals in middle management and above to find out what they saw as the key limitations to
progressing to senior leadership. The results show that while many have their sights set on a career at
the top, businesses are largely failing to facilitate their development.

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UK professionals left to flounder
Our research showed that almost half (47%) of professionals believe those
with the potential to progress are not adequately supported to make the
transition to senior leadership within their organisation ― and it’s having
a significant effect on their confidence. In fact, nearly two-fifths (38%) of
those in middle and senior management cited professional anxiety as a
barrier to career progression.
Professional confidence
Uncertainty and apprehension in the workplace is
diverting potential leaders off the path to the boardroom,
and employers need to do more to improve professional
confidence if they’re to secure the necessary skills for the
future of their organisations.
As well as a lack of support from employers, nearly a
quarter of the professionals we surveyed said there were no
measures in place within their organisations to help them
progress. Structural measures — such as mentoring and
development programmes — play a major part in nurturing
senior leaders, and this level of professional encouragement
and support is vital to ensure employees feel championed by
their own company.
So what do employees perceive to be the chief limitations
when it comes to progressing to senior leadership?
Top 10 limitations to senior leadership
Our research identified a number of factors that professionals
felt limited advancement to senior leadership roles:
❶ Lack of leadership experience
❷ Personal anxiety about making the transition
❸ Lack of industry experience
❹ Unwillingness to travel
❺ Internal relationships
❻ Unwillingness to relocate
❼ Limited network/contacts
❽ Family commitments
❾ Age
❿ Organisational structure

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The employees in our survey identified the following
criteria as essential for those wishing to progress to
senior management:
❶ Leadership experience
❷ Effective management style
❸ Industry knowledge
❹ Strategic ability
❺ Effective leadership style
With lack of leadership experience causing the most concern, it’s
hardy surprising that professionals want to see more mentoring,
development programmes, leadership training, and opportunities
to tackle new challenges within their organisation. But what does
it take to be a senior leader?
However, of those at middle management level, only
a quarter expect to progress to a senior leadership
position within their current organisation; over a
third expect to move to another company to secure
a top spot; 41% have no desire to advance to senior
leadership, and of those who do want to progress,
79% think the support will need to come from
themselves rather than their current employer.
If more than a third of UK professionals believe that
the only way to further their careers is to abandon
ship for a new employer, many organisations are
going to suffer a brain drain — with top talent leaving
for companies with clear development plans for their
future leaders.
of professionals surveyed think
the support will need to come
from themselves rather than
their current employer.
79%of professionals surveyed in
middle management cited
professional anxiety as a
barrier to career progression.
38% of professionals surveyed
believe those with the potential
to progress are not adequately
supported to make the transition
to senior leadership.
47%

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Differences between the sectors
There were noticeable differences between the sectors: our research showed
that the public sector is more likely to have a large senior leadership team
and a high amount of bureaucracy and hierarchy. It’s also seen to be more
controlling and restrictive — a characteristic that could negatively impact
talent attraction.
Public sector
The public sector is however more
likely to have mentoring, development
programmes and leadership training
in place, so for those individuals who
are earmarked for the top, structural
measures are at hand. Within this
sector, leadership experience is
thought to be the most important
attribute for senior leaders, with
a lack of leadership experience
emerging as the chief limitation
to progression to the top.
Private sector
In the private sector, companies are
more likely to be entrepreneurial with
a flat structure and a small leadership
team. They’re also more likely to have
regular salary reviews, offer the chance
to showcase abilities, and provide the
opportunity to take on new challenges. In
this sector, industry experience is thought
to be the most important attribute for
senior leaders, but echoing the feelings
of the public sector, lack of leadership
experience still emerges as the chief
limitation for progression to the top.
Our survey told us that industry
knowledge is essential for
private sector, while public
champions experience.

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Leadership experience
A focus on building leadership experience can
help organisations to tap into their talent pipeline
and create the leaders of the future.
The private sector has already taken some key
learns from the public sector ― including the
implementation of training programmes ― but
employers across the board could be doing much
more to facilitate internal development.

8. Page 8 0f 3
Leadership experience
essential to progression
Small companies of up to 49 employees reflect the private sector trend of being
flat, entrepreneurial, and having a small leadership team. They’re less likely to
be diverse, bureaucratic or hierarchical, controlling or restrictive, or internally
competitive or aggressive. But with over a third (35%) of professionals reporting
a lack of measures for helping workers to progress to higher ranks, and only
19% of employees expecting to progress within their current company, small
businesses may struggle to compete with larger competitors.
Small companies
Leadership experience is cited as
both the key attribute of senior
leaders in small companies and the
chief limitation; employers within
businesses of this size then must
focus on facilitating learning from
an early stage — otherwise, they risk
losing their rising stars to those with
clear plans in place.
Large companies
In large companies of over 250
employees, only 25% of workers
expect to progress within their current
organisation ― and in an echo of
the smallest companies, leadership
experience is cited as both the key
attribute and the chief limitation.
While large organisations are more
likely to have mentoring, development
programmes, leadership training and
opportunities for new challenges,
the fact that they also have larger
leadership teams means they should
have a much higher percentage of
employees expecting to progress where
they are, rather than looking to other
employers to help them realise their
potential.
Mid-sized companies
Mid-sized companies with 49-
249 employees tend to be more
diverse, but also more bureaucratic,
hierarchical, controlling and restrictive
— largely echoing the public sector.
But they also mirror larger private
sector trends in their tendency to
provide greater opportunities for new
challenges, regular salary reviews,
and the opportunity to showcase
abilities. The top attribute for leaders
in companies of this size is thought to
be management style, with leadership
experience once again emerging
as the chief limitation for career
progression. It is however better news
for these employers, with 29% of their
workers expecting to advance within
their current company.

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reported a lack of measures for helping
workers to progress to higher ranks.
35% of professionals

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Generation Y emerged as the most
ambitious age group, with 80%
expressing a desire to progress to
senior or CEO level positions, compared
to 60% of 34-39 year olds and 40% of
50-68 year olds.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s Generation
Y who receives the greatest amount
of mentoring, development and
leadership training, but with chief
demand coming from 34-49 year
olds, it seems that whilst workers
are enjoying the support of their
employers at the start of their careers,
the development of more experienced
talent is getting overlooked. Giving
employees the chance to learn from their
peers is essential for building leadership
confidence (and competence), which
is where the importance of mentoring
comes in. Being able to learn from
industry professionals who are already
at an advanced stage in their careers
is a cost-effective method of internal
development, and one that can be
adapted and tailored to individual needs.
It’s essential that today’s employers cater
for every age group within their reach,
and devise the most appropriate training
programmes for every group. It’s also
important that opportunities are equally
available to all.
Generation Y are the most ambitious
Gen X frustrated
by lack of support
Our research showed a peak in requests for structural support measures from
professionals in the 34-49 age bracket — suggesting that workers of this age feel
ready for progression, but lack the necessary support; resulting in frustration,
and leaving them open to rival offers. This is a crucial age for making the
transition to senior leadership, and employers need to devote both time and
resources to facilitating the development of those who are ready for the top.
Generation and ambition
60%
80%
40%
Generation Y
Generation X
Baby Boomer
Percentage of professionals surveyed
who have a desire to progress to senior
or CEO level positions.

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It’s essential that today’s employers cater
for every age group within their reach,
and devise the most appropriate training
programmes for every group. It’s also
important that opportunities are equally
available to all.
Appropriate training

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A noticeably higher number of women
than men felt there was nothing in
place to support you becoming a senior
leader. Women also felt they had less
chance for salary reviews than their male
counterparts felt, and less opportunities
to showcase their abilities. This could be
down to perception, or attributable to a
tendency for men to be more demanding
in the workplace, but if employers are to
retain promising talent, opportunities
must be promoted to everyone,
regardless of gender. The way in which
opportunities and support are offered
may need to be re-considered so that
what is on offer appeals to women as
much as men.
As the women in our survey actually
evinced a greater desire for new
challenges than the men, employers
should be wary: those who feel ready for
the next step in their careers are likely to
be left feeling frustrated, and potentially
forced to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Women were also shown to strongly
prize flexible working practices, but an
overwhelming 75% of organisations fail
to offer it; if women need a degree of
flexibility in order to manage other
commitments alongside their careers,
those companies who are unwilling
to address existing policies could see
themselves missing out on valuable
talent.
Employers should also take note of the
differences in attitudes to leadership
displayed by male and female
professionals: our research suggests
that women value management style
over leadership experience, and place
importance on personality and team fit,
while men believe that to become an
effective leader, industry knowledge,
strategic ability, financial acumen,
market awareness and commercialism
is essential.
Leadership training should be
tailored to individual approach,
whilst also educating up and coming
professionals about what’s expected
of them at the top.
Our research suggests that women value
management style over leadership
experience, and place importance on
personality and team fit.
Men believe that to become an effective
leader, industry knowledge, strategic ability,
financial acumen, market awareness and
commercialism is essential.
Woman and senior leadership
Women believe men have
greater access to support
Despite efforts to increase the number of women on company boards,
our research found that there is a real difference in perception between
men and women around the level of support that is in place to become
a senior leader.

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Woman prize flexible
working yet our research
has found that 75% of
organisations fail to offer it.
Woman and flexible working

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Creating future leaders
Previous research by Badenoch & Clark found that over a quarter of Generation
Y workers would turn down a job without personal development opportunities,
and just under a third would leave a role without a clear career path. Add to
that the frustration felt by older professionals at a crucial juncture in their
careers and the problem is clear: in a market of intense competition — for
both business and talent — employers are gambling not only with employee
retention, but the future of their organisations.
Give your future leaders exposure to the top
With professional anxiety and concerns around lack of leadership experience
impacting not only confidence but career ambitions, today’s business leaders
have a crucial role to play in paving the way for progression to the top. Once
a path has been carved for promising professionals — constituted of clear
expectations, senior support and practical training programmes — this anxiety
is likely to diminish; replaced by ambition, determination, and understanding
of their role as business leaders of the future.
Introduce career development at an early stage
Set up mentoring opportunities that make people feel valued
Tailor training and development opportunities to
leadership skills
Choose projects based on development needs
Involve future leaders in the decision-making process
With professional anxiety and concerns around lack of leadership experience
impacting not only confidence but career ambitions, today’s business leaders have
a crucial role to play in paving the way for progression to the top. Once a path has
been carved for promising professionals — constituted of clear expectations, senior
support and practical training programmes — this anxiety is likely to diminish;
replaced by ambition, determination, and understanding of their role as business
leaders of the future.
If one of your employees is showing
leadership potential, their talent needs
to be nurtured with the encouragement
and structural support measures that
will allow them to flourish and excel;
this approach is also likely to keep top
performers within your fold, rather than
jumping ship for brighter opportunities
with rival companies.

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“This survey sheds new
light on the factors that
impact career progression
to senior leadership. With
little signposting and advice
provided by the employer, doubts about
career development are stopping top talent
from getting ahead. This is a loss for both the
candidate and the company. If companies wish
to retain their best performers, we need to see
greater investment in supportive mechanisms
and formal structures. These can range from
more structured approaches such as training
programmes, to mentoring and other softer
forms of supporting top talent.”
Nicola Linkleter, Managing Director
of Badenoch & Clark

16. www.badenochandclark.com
© Badenoch & Clark 2014. All right reserved. The information contained in this publication is intended for general purposes or guidance only.
It does not purport to constitute professional advice. Badenoch & Clark accepts no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein.
Contact us
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