Why every employee is a potential leader (and the role of your leadership development programme)
Picture this: A quiet Tuesday morning in a Manchester office. Sarah, a project coordinator with no formal “Manager” title, spots a brewing conflict between teams. She steps in, listens, and guides her colleagues to a solution. In that moment, Sarah became the leader everyone needed, even though she isn’t formally recognised as one. Stories like Sarah’s are not rare. Leadership is often shown by people who may not perceive their actions as leadership. The big secret, then, is that your next great leader may already be on the payroll, quietly helping peers, asking “why not?” and getting things done behind the scenes.
Many managers are what the Chartered Management Institute calls “accidental leaders” – promoted because they were great at their job but given a leadership role with no training at all on how to lead. In fact, 70% of UK managers are “accidental leaders” and a mere 30% have had any formal leadership training. Imagine throwing someone into an F1 car without explaining any of the differences between an F1 car and a VW Golf: that is what we are doing when we expect new managers to learn the critical skill of management “on the job”. Inevitably, it leads to stress, disengagement and valued people walking out the door, taking their knowledge and skills with them.
Every employee has the potential to lead if given the chance. Your future leaders are hidden in plain sight – people who solve problems (not just flag them), people who ask, “why do we do it this way?” and whom others naturally listen to. They take ownership and drive results, even without the fancy title. A recent survey found that only 14% of companies believe they have a strong pipeline of emerging leaders, but 74% of UK employees feel their organisations are not spotting or developing leadership talent. In other words, most firms could be overlooking the “diamonds in the rough” in their existing teams.
So, how can you spot these hidden leaders? Look for the curious, the connectors, the problem-solvers. For instance, they might be the junior developer who volunteers to coordinate a cross-team meeting, or the logistics clerk who suggests ways to cut waste. Common traits include:
- Solutions‐oriented mindset: They do not just pass problems up the chain; they roll up their sleeves and fix issues.
- Relentless curiosity: They constantly ask “why?” challenge the status quo, and push for better ways of working.
- Natural influence: Colleagues tend to gravitate to them for advice – they have credibility even without seniority
- Ownership and drive: When given a task, they own it and deliver results.
These are the ingredients of leadership, even if HR systems have not recognised them yet.
That’s where your Leadership Development Programme comes in. Leadership is not an inborn trait reserved for a lucky few; it is a learnable skill. A well-designed programme treats every participant as a potential leader and provides them with the opportunity to develop their skills, to step up. When organisations invest in leadership development at all levels, the benefits are clear; Firms that train their managers through a structured, planned programme see 23% higher employee engagement and 30% lower turnover. The Chartered Management Institute even estimates that for every £1 spent on leadership development in the UK, companies get around £6 back in productivity, innovation and efficiency. One study found businesses with formal leadership training earned 218% more income per employee than those without.
By way of example, Barclays UK Retail Bank launched an Emerging Leaders programme to cultivate mid-level managers. Within 12 months, 62% of new vacancies were filled by internal promotions – and the cost of the programme was entirely offset by recruitment savings. Even better, 97% of participants reported improved team productivity, and 92% saw better team engagement in their day-to-day work. In short, Barclays turned “hidden” talent into actual leadership performance, and their culture and bottom line reaped the rewards.
What does this mean for your L&D team? It means designing a training programme in line with the needs of your people, who are acquiring and honing their skills over time. To ignite every employee’s leadership spark, your programme needs to be strategic, inclusive, and ongoing. Practical steps include:
- Structured development paths for new managers: Instead of expecting people to learn “on the job,” provide a regular programme of training interventions with workshops, coaching and real projects. (MDA Training recommends its immersive Leadership Simulation to help new managers build confidence, capability and real-world decision-making skills from day one))
- Identify and nurture high-potential staff early: Run a “Future Leaders” or High-Potential programme. Give rising stars mentors, stretch assignments and exposure to senior leaders. Engaging these employees early ensures they stay and grow with you.
- Create a “leadership readiness” track: Make leadership skills part of promotion criteria. For example, require candidates to demonstrate coaching ability or strategic thinking before getting the role. This avoids promoting purely on tenure or technical skill, and ensures new leaders are prepared.
- Map clear career pathways: Show everyone how they can progress from front-line roles into leadership. When employees see a future in your organisation (not just a dead end), engagement soars. In one study, companies that prioritised leadership development reported a 72% drop in turnover. Why? Because people stick around when they feel the company is investing in them.
- Offer ongoing coaching and support: Training should not be a one-off event. Regular one-to-one coaching, peer learning groups and feedback loops help solidify new leaders’ skills. Good coaches help new leaders adjust their mindset, boost confidence, and practise new behaviours in a safe setting.
Each of these elements creates a talent pipeline. If learning managers sometimes feel like they are “taking bets” on selecting the right people, this approach spreads the opportunity around. Plant many seeds, across all levels of the organisation, instead of hoping that the one seed that is planted bears fruit.
In the end, every employee can lead in some way – whether it is managing a small project, innovating a process, or inspiring colleagues on a team. In L&D, it’s likely that your passion lies in creating an environment where leadership can grow anywhere, and everyone can fulfil their potential. In other words, treat leadership as a journey that everyone can participate in, not a destination only reached by the few at the top.
When you find the hidden leaders within your organisation, the results will show up in employee satisfaction, retention and performance driven by a team full of people achieving their potential, each feeling invested in and equipped to make a difference. The next time you audit your training needs, remember Sarah in Manchester: ready to lead all along but in need of two things: someone to recognise her potential, and a path to follow to help her maximise her skills and take advantage of the opportunities. That path could be your Leadership Development programme.
At MDA Training, we help organisations uncover and nurture leadership potential at every level through our immersive Leadership Simulation Programmes. Designed to mirror real-world business challenges, our simulations place participants in decision-making roles where they must collaborate, think strategically, and lead under pressure, regardless of their job title. Whether you are developing new managers or equipping future leaders, our experiential approach builds practical leadership skills in a risk-free environment, transforming potential into performance from day one.
