Advice: When Your Leader Isn’t Invested in You

By: Robert David, CSHRP Executive Director and John Honingford, JHC Principal Consultant

A few weeks ago, my colleague John Honingford (former CSHRP member) spoke at a manager training focused on the topic of Developing Self and Developing Others. John has over 25 years of people management, manager of manager, and cross functional team leadership experience.?He also has almost 10 years of Learning and OD experience and is focused on supporting leaders at every level of an organization through formal training initiatives, coaching and mentoring.

One of the participants asked if they could stick around after the session for a brief chat. They wanted to talk about this exact topic – What do you do when your leader isn’t interested in helping you grow your career?

It's a good reminder that leader development isn't just for Individual Contributors and that the desire to grow and develop doesn’t stop when someone becomes a people manager.?Taking an interest in your employee's development is an important role for all leaders and any manager who doesn't invest the time does so at their own peril.??Remember EVERY employee is a free agent.?They can and will leave to find a place that is interested and invested in their development and growth.?That fact is apparent in the numerous exit interviews we’ve read, where lack of development is listed as the most common reason people give for leaving their company, second only to having a bad manager.

If you’re a leader, some things to consider:

·?????Have you had a recent conversation with all of your employees about their career ambitions?

·?????Do you know their strengths and have you relayed those strengths to your employee?

·?????Have you asked them what they like/dislike about the work they are doing?

·?????Are you giving them opportunities to grow/build skills and have you talked to them about those growth opportunities?

·?????Have you provided feedback to them recently (constructive/positive)??

·?????Do you carve out dedicated time to talk about development with all of your employees at least 2 times per year?

If you find yourself in a position where your leader isn’t interested in your growth and you’re not ready to leave, here are some tips:

1) Don’t let an indifferent leader derail your ambition. If you’re feeling underutilized and underestimated, remember that your career is yours—and yours alone—to define and navigate.

2) Here’s how to advance, even without your boss’s support:

First, focus on what you can control: your mindset and your actions. Embrace a positive outlook. You’re not stuck; you’re simply at a crossroads. Continue to do your best work for your boss, aim to exceed expectations, communicate well, and be a positive, engaged team member.

At the same time, remain laser-focused on your career objectives and next steps. Ask yourself: What do I want to do more of? What do I want to be known for? What skills do I want to acquire? Answering these questions is the first step to being a great manager to yourself.

Next, identify who else can help you achieve these goals, such as peers, other leaders in your organization, or mentors outside it.

Finally, reach out to those people, ask for advice, and proactively forge new relationships. They’ll recognize your potential and invest in your development—even if your leader doesn’t.