Why Management Skills Don’t Improve With Time Alone, According to Leannebridges

In a recent LinkedIn post, Leannebridges challenges the common assumption that management skills naturally develop over time. The business consultant argues that simply occupying a management role for an extended period does not inherently lead to improved competency, and can instead solidify ineffective practices.

Leannebridges uses relatable scenarios to illustrate this point, highlighting managers who, despite years in their positions, still struggle with fundamental aspects of leadership. She states:

“Think about the manager who’s been in the job for five years and still can’t have a difficult conversation. Or the one who’s been leading a team for three years and still does half the work themselves. Or the one who’s run the same department for a decade and still brings decisions to you.”

The core of Leannebridges’s argument is that time does not inherently foster growth in crucial management areas. Instead, she suggests that without deliberate intervention and training, experience can merely entrench existing habits, making them harder to change.

The Myth of Natural Skill Development

Leannebridges contends that many senior executives operate under the flawed premise that management proficiency is an organic outcome of tenure. This misconception, she explains, leads to a lack of proactive development for managers.

“Most MDs assume that management skills develop naturally. That the longer someone is in the role, the better they get,” Leannebridges writes. She counters this by asserting that the habits formed early in a management career often persist and become deeply ingrained.

“The habits they developed in their first six months are the same habits they’re using now. Just more embedded. Harder to shift. More invisible to them because it’s just how they work.”

This perspective suggests that organizations relying on time alone to cultivate strong leadership are likely to be disappointed. As Leannebridges points out, experience can be a double-edged sword if it reinforces poor practices.

Essential Skills Require Active Cultivation

The post emphasizes that certain critical management skills are not intuitive or easily acquired through passive experience. These competencies, such as conducting difficult conversations or effective delegation, require focused learning and practice.

Leannebridges argues that these are not skills most individuals will simply “pick up with time.” She elaborates:

“Experience helps with a lot of things. But having a difficult conversation, delegating properly, getting someone to change how they work… those aren’t things most people pick up with time.”

In Leannebridges’s view, the implication for businesses is clear: investing in targeted management training and development is crucial. Relying on the passage of time to improve managerial effectiveness is, according to her analysis, a misguided approach that can hinder both individual and organizational progress.