Why Most Leadership Development Programs Fail—And How It’s Hurting Your New Leaders

Welcome to the 36th edition of "Coffee, Chaos & Customer Support! I've created this newsletter as a "safe space" for contact center leaders. I write about all the nuances & day-to-day chaos, challenges, wins, trends & needed changes with customer-facing teams (experience, support & success), specifically in startups. I "grew up" in startup contact centers from frontline to senior leadership, partnering & leading internal brand teams, BPOs, tech teams, managing managers & improving operational processes. I share my unique experience & guidelines that will impact people in a positive way, drives quick wins in your day-to-day & continue to strive for departmental excellence in the ever-changing world of customer service!

The Leadership Development Gap in Contact Centers

Leadership development is a $366 billion industry, yet most programs fail to equip new leaders with the tools they actually need, especially in fast-paced, high-pressure environments like contact centers.

Instead of setting up new managers for success, companies typically promote top-performing agents and supervisors without a structured, real-world leadership training plan. I was one of those newly promoted managers in the same boat. They’re expected to “figure it out” while managing KPIs, coaching underperforming team members, and handling escalations, all at the same damn time.

The results of this trend?

? Burnout

? High turnover

? Teams disengaging from leadership

? Performance issues that never actually improve

Leadership training should give managers the confidence to lead, but instead, many programs are too generic, too high-level, and completely disconnected from the actual work of leading a contact center team.

Let’s break down why traditional leadership programs fail and what companies must do differently to bridge this gap, especially as we continue evolving in the world of AI.

The Broken Leadership Training Model

Most leadership training programs are designed for corporate executives or general business leaders, not for fast-paced, customer-facing service teams. Many of the most well-known leadership frameworks fall short when applied to contact center environments. While I utilize a few of these leadership styles & have over the years, they don't necessarily capture the full picture or autonomy.

Let's dive in:

1?? Situational Leadership

The concept: Adjust leadership style based on the employee’s development level. The problem? Contact center managers don’t have time to customize coaching for every single agent while handling escalations, staffing, and daily fire drills. They need scalable coaching techniques that work in real time.

2?? Servant Leadership

The concept: Prioritize the needs of employees to help them grow. The problem? Many contact center leaders lack authority to change processes, improve workloads, or make cultural shifts. They need influence-building skills and practical performance coaching techniques not just a mindset shift.

3?? Transformational Leadership

The concept: Inspire teams through vision, motivation, and innovation. The problem? Contact center leadership isn’t just about big-picture thinking, it’s about day-to-day execution. Leaders need training on handling tough conversations, managing KPIs & problem-solving in real time.

4?? One-and-Done Leadership Training

The concept: A workshop or webinar can teach leaders everything they need. The problem? Leadership is a constant learning process. Contact center managers need ongoing mentorship, peer learning, and real-world coaching, not just one training session that gets forgotten in a week.

The #1 Mistake Companies Make with New Leaders

Many companies make the critical mistake of promoting their best employees into leadership roles without preparing them.

?? 60% of new managers fail in their first two years due to lack of training. (SHRM)

?? 63% of leadership training investments never stick. (Gartner)

Companies assume that because someone was great at the job, they’ll automatically be great at leading others doing the job, but that’s not how leadership works.

Instead of being set up for success, new leaders are thrown into leadership with no real guidance, just expectations:

?? “Just be like your old manager.”

?? “Focus on the numbers.”

?? “If you’re a good leader, you’ll figure it out.”

Without structured coaching techniques, feedback frameworks, and real-world performance management skills, new leaders struggle to build trust with their teams, drive results, and stay engaged in their roles.

What Great Leadership Development Looks Like for Contact Centers

If traditional leadership training doesn’t work, what does?

? On-the-Job Coaching & Mentorship: Leadership development should happen in real time, not in a training manual. New managers need hands-on coaching from experienced leaders who understand the industry.

? Real-World Performance Management Frameworks: Leaders need practical frameworks to measure and drive performance without burning out their teams. This is why I created the PERFORM Framework a people-first approach that balances metrics with leadership strategies that actually work. More to come on this :)

? Ongoing Peer Learning & Mastermind Groups: Leadership growth doesn’t happen in isolation. The best development happens through regular discussions, troubleshooting real challenges, and sharing best practices with other leaders.

Companies that invest in frontline leader training see a 47% higher retention rate. (Gallup)

Why I’m Building Savvy Service Pro Learning Solutions & Taking A Different Approach.

I’ve spent 15+ years in contact centers, working my way from frontline agent to senior leadership. I know first-hand what it’s like to:

?? Be promoted without leadership training and struggle to manage performance effectively ?? Try to balance metrics, team morale, and customer outcomes without a clear strategy

?? Search for leadership training that actually makes sense for contact center managers

That’s why I'm building Savvy Service Pro Learning Solutions: to fill the leadership development gap for contact center leaders & bring a standard program to the industry.

Time to Rethink Leadership Development

If leadership training doesn’t prepare managers for real-world contact center challenges in their day-to-day operations, it’s a waste of time.

We don’t need more generic leadership courses, we need practical, real-world strategies that actually help leaders lead & excel in both people development, discussing impactful business data & speaking to the business.

What’s missing in leadership development for support teams? Drop your thoughts below. If you found this article valuable, share it with your network & keep the conversation going. Have a great week rest of the week!