Monday Morning Musings
Volume XXIV, Number 16 (Issue 1167) April 20, 2026
An Investment Opportunity You Must Not Pass Up
I do not know how you acquired your leadership skills, but for me it consisted of a long, drawn-our process best characterized as a three-legged race. The first leg, and the one that most people seem obliged to use was on-the-job-training. As you have undoubtedly observed/experienced, OJT is fraught with problems – especially if it is the only avenue available. The middle leg for me was observing how others approached the role of leader and either mimicking them or working hard to do the exact opposite. Let us be honest, far too many in leadership roles do more harm than good – mostly because they never received the proper leadership skills training and feedback required to hone their soft skills. The third leg in my learning journey consisted of intense personal study. In that regard I read every single book I could lay my hands on that had leadership as its focus.
All of this is to say I was never afforded the opportunity to take part in a formalized leadership development program. Instead, I was thrust into leadership roles on several occasions in the first third of my career because I was a good technician. Then a pair of previous employers promoted me into managerial positions that I was unqualified to fill. So, my resume painted a picture of someone with leadership experience.
Unfortunately for those who found themselves under my charge in the early years of my career, they had to suffer through all of my failings and mistakes. But over time, because I was committed to becoming the best version of an effective leader, I began to lay claim to some of the required power skills that so many crave and more desperately need.
These days a common lament heard from CEOs and other senior officers is that too many of their people are “B” if not “C+” caliber players when what they urgently seek are “A” players. The thing is, since leadership skills (soft/power skills) are learnable behaviors, one wonders why more organizations do not invest the time and resources needed to impart and reinforce the much sought after skills near the beginning of people’s careers instead of waiting until all manner of unhealthy habits have been imprinted. The inevitable consequence of this delayed investment is some of the best talent is lost due to turnover.
There is a vital lesson here. Depending upon the research and data set you look at, roughly seventy percent of all voluntary turnover has its roots in the glaring deficiencies of those in supervisory roles. While I shall not bore you with the component costs of turnover, most would be stunned to know how expensive turnover can be for an organization. Add to that the fact that fifty-eight percent of organizations surveyed acknowledge they lack sufficient well-equipped bench strength in their managerial ranks and we definitely have a problem. Namely, organizations are paying dearly for the lack of timely investment in their peoples’ training – especially when it comes to sorely needed leadership capabilities.
I am reminded of an advertising campaign that first aired in 1972 on behalf of FRAM Inc. The product being pitched was an engine oil filter. The selling point/slogan of the campaign was “you can pay me now, or pay me later,” with the clear message being you can pay a small amount now to maintain your car’s engine or you can put it off and pay something on the order of a king’s ransom down the road to repair/replace your vehicle’s engine due to the lack of proper maintenance. It is the same with people when the issue is investing in their leadership skills. That is not to say everyone can develop into an effective leader, but given the right collection of aptitudes, many can learn to be a good if not great leader.
Soli Deo Gloria
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
J. Keith Hughey
Mobile: (210) 260-0955
E-mail: keith@jkeithhughey.com
Website: www.jkeithhughey.com
Transforming Potential into Unmatched Performance
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