EMPLOYEES are reluctant to step up to senior leadership roles due to concerns about their work-life balance, new research at University of Limerick (UL) has found.
The study into the perceptions and motivations of future leaders was undertaken by UL’s Kemmy Business School found that one third of employees will never step into a senior leadership role, despite having the skills and experience to do so.
The study, ‘Answering the Call to Lead: Future Leader Perceptions, Motivations, Skills and Needs’, found that concerns around work-life balance was the top reason that 27 per cent of professionals would not choose the career progression.
550 professionals were surveyed as part of the study, with the researchers also finding that men in the workplace were now as concerned about family life, health, and wellbeing as their female counterparts.
Professor Finbarr Murphy, executive dean of UL’s Kemmy Business School, said that the study is an important tool in understanding what drives leaders in the Mid West, both now and into the future.
“The Kemmy Business School is committed to supporting the Mid West, a vibrant region with an international reach. This Call to Lead research is an important piece of the picture in understanding the criticality of leadership today,” Prof Murphy said.
“Moreover, it ensures the KBS can respond with executive and professional education upskilling in key spaces – supporting business leaders where they need it most, in the ways they feel work best.”
Associate Professor Sarah Kieran, assistant dean of executive and professional education at Kemmy Business School, added that “the decision to step up to lead should be more exciting than daunting. Future leaders should feel ready and willing, but that is not always the case.”
“Understanding why some people feel ready and others do not, why some know they can do the job but chose not to right now (or not yet) is important for Ireland and its international competitive positioning.”
