Time for

a change?
A research report
into the professional
fulfilment experienced by
tomorrow’s leaders
Contents
Foreword 3 “Many junior and middle managers ask for more leadership
Key findings 6 development, but don’t understand that the next step is not
Unfulfilled & caught in a trap 7 upwards, but outwards. They will have to start leading outwards,
Time for a change? 8 however uncomfortable it feels, before they can go upwards. They
Where do we go from here? 9
have to understand that they have a responsibility to their team to
A training shortfall 11
Real skills required 13 influence not only upwards but outwards too.”
Time for some DIY? 15 Julia Middleton, founder and Chief Executive, Common Purpose
About Common Purpose 17 from her book Beyond Authority: Leadership in a Changing World

This survey was conducted online among 200 junior and

middle managers aged over 25 from the private, public and
not-for-profit sectors by an independent professional market
researcher. Over two-thirds of those surveyed are in the
25-34 age group. The research builds on “SEARCHING FOR
SOMETHING - Exploring the career traps and ambitions of
young people,” a 2004 research report by Common Purpose.
Foreword
It’s easy to talk about a commitment to encouraging young
talent to blossom, but how many employers truly make - or
allow - this to happen?

The motivation for this research was a desire to understand

more about the opportunities and the barriers for emerging
leaders, and what is required to really flourish in today’s
leadership roles. What are the career traps that limit young
managers and keep them from fulfilling their potential as
“The most successful and dynamic leaders of tomorrow?
organisations whether they be private, public
or not-for-profit, are those that truly seek out In our foundation research into young leaders, three years
ago, we found that young people thirst for meaning in their
and listen to lateral thought and new ideas…”
lives, and are not fulfilled by their work. Unfortunately, not a
lot has changed, though the world moves on apace.
As providers of leadership development programmes for
people of all ages and backgrounds and across all sectors,
Young and talented leaders are less likely to stay with
we make a continual and determined effort to find out what
employers who stifle their ability to express themselves
truly makes people tick – and, conversely, what gradually dims
than at any other time in our history. The world is changing
creative essence and enthusiasm.
but this most recent survey suggests that organisations of
all sectors are failing to respond to those changes when it
At Common Purpose, we see all too often that young
comes to creating an environment in which young managers
managers full of ideas and enthusiasm feel thwarted in their
are truly free to manage and make change.
efforts to make a real difference to their organisations and
to society. This is disheartening and gradually undermines
The most successful and dynamic organisations whether
confidence.
they be private, public or not-for-profit, are those that truly
listen and seek out new ideas. Organisations must be open to
And yet, we also meet many truly inspirational people of
dynamism and change to fire the passion of the people they
all ages whose enthusiasm and creativity is contagious
depend on for future success – or they will wither and die.
and acts as a catalyst for others. In many ways, this is what
our leadership development programmes are all about
Julia Middleton, CEO and founder of Common Purpose, October 2007
– reawakening the dormant life-force that can instill passion
into all our working lives.
 Key findings
at-a-glance
Does your current employer
provide career development/
training opportunities?
Yes No

80% 20% Junior Management

72% 28% Middle Management

• Over half of young managers feel unfulfilled in their
current roles.
• Half of all junior and middle managers are either actively
searching for or thinking about a new job.
• Half of young managers want clearer career development
plans and a greater input into the decision-making that
impacts on their role.
Have these career • Nearly all managers receive training, but only a third
development/training of young managers, across sectors, find that training
rewarding in terms of job fulfilment.
opportunities made your • Training is perceived to enhance career prospects, but
role more fulfilling? over two-thirds of young mangers feel that it falls short of
addressing wider aspirations and life goals.
Yes No
• Over 40% of young managers feel that more access to
peer-to-peer learning and external experiences would
23% 77% Junior Management benefit them.

38% 62% Middle Management

Unfulfilled Time for
and caught a change?
in a trap
The level of fulfillment experienced by young Are junior and middle managers thinking
managers across sectors declines as they move about a career change due to dissatisfaction
through their thirties. with their jobs?
Most young managers feel relatively unfulfilled in their Half of all junior and middle managers are either actively
current roles. Overall, 53% of young managers were unable searching for or thinking about a new job.
to describe feeling either “quite” or “very” fulfilled in their
current careers. The level of dissatisfaction is highest in the not-for-profit
sector, where 75% of respondents are thinking about, or
A third of all respondents are not at all or just a little fulfilled actively seeking, a change.
in their current jobs.
In the private sector, just over half of all respondents are
Men feel more unfulfilled than women. Almost two-thirds of considering a change of role, whilst in the public sector, 43%
male young managers do not feel “quite” or “very” fulfilled in are either thinking about or actively seeking change.
their current roles, whilst 40% of women feel the same way.
Men are more likely than women to be thinking about or
The level of dissatisfaction in job fulfillment peaks as actively looking for a career change.
managers across sectors approach their mid 30s, peaking in
the 30-34 age group before dropping markedly from 35.
Where
do we go
from here?
Over a third of young managers felt that continued tailored
personal / professional development would make their roles
more fulfilling.

Twice as many men (22%) than women (11%) would like

to “give something back to society” to enhance their job
fulfilment, while a third of the men and a fifth of the women
want to be able to operate more strategically.
How do young managers think their roles
could be made more fulfilling? The desire for more opportunities to input to decision
making that directly impacts the individual’s role and
Young managers want clearer career development plans. responsibility is felt most keenly by managers over 40. This
Almost half of all respondents cited this need, which was is also felt more keenly by men (49%) than women (40%)
particularly prevalent among junior managers (55%). and, perhaps unsurprisingly, this is more an issue for junior
managers (52%) than middle ranking managers (44%).
Ongoing development is also a big issue as 42% of
respondents feel that continued exposure to personal / The older respondents crave excitement. Continued
professional development would make their roles more exposure to new and exciting opportunities would appeal to
fulfilling. 58% of managers over 40, whilst 47% of all male managers
and 38% of women feel the same way.
A third of all respondents would prefer a closer fit between
their organisation’s and their personal values. Unsurprisingly,
none of the managers working in the not-for-profit sector
cited this as a factor.

Just over half (52%) of all respondents would like to be

able to input more into decisions that impact on their
role. This resonates with findings from Common Purpose’s
corresponding 2004 survey which found that 47% of young
managers felt they didn’t have enough career control.
 Middle management (% voted yes)
Junior management (% voted yes)
A training
shortfall What would make
training more fulfilling?
47% 41%
More access to external
experiences and peer learning
Nearly all organisations provide training and
development for the young managers – but
does it lead to job fulfilment? 32%
More access to diverse
31%
people /new people outside
Three quarters of young managers receive training, but only a of my sector /profession
third of managers, across sectors, find that training rewarding
in terms of job fulfilment.
40%
The private, public and not-for-profit sectors provide equal 24%
training opportunities, and are broadly equal when it comes
to the success – or lack of it – in providing training which is More strategic development
inspiring to managers.
62% 57%
Unfortunately over half of all respondents (57%) claim that
training helps them progress in their career within their
More specific development
organisation, but only 27% claim the training/development
addresses their wider aspirations and life goals.
of professional skills

Just over a third of young managers (36%) claim the training/

development increases their confidence and personal impact. An opportunity to benchmark
27% 24% myself against professionals
in other sectors
Real skills
required Overall, 44% of respondents feel that more access to peer-
to-peer learning and external experiences would benefit
them. This is felt more or less equally by all levels of seniority
of managers, but more keenly by younger people (53% of
under 25s).

Over a third of 30-34 year olds are looking for a closer

fit between their organisation and their personal values.
Over half the same age group are looking for a clearer
If training is falling short of its raison d’etre development path and more opportunities to input to
- what would make it more fulfilling? decision-making that directly impacts their role and
responsibility.
Young managers yearn for more specific professional skills-
based training. Well over half the respondents cited the need
for more specific development of professional skills. This
need is particularly keenly felt by junior and middle managers
(60%).

A third of respondents want increased access to diverse

people and new people outside their own sector while a
similar percentage feel that more strategic development
would make their roles more fulfilling. Again, this is
particularly noticeable among junior and middle managers
(50%). It is also felt by men (45%) more than women (22%).
Time for Escaping the
some DIY? trap •
Tips for employees
Put yourself forward for new projects, and suggest innovative
ways of taking your organisation forward.
• Take on leadership roles outside your organisation.
• Connect with your peers in other sectors and consider ways
that you can share knowledge and experience of management
in your sectors. Work together to identify learning and
development opportunities which you could offer each other.
• Broaden your network inside your organisation. This will help
Are young managers taking matters into their you to spot new opportunities to learn and develop.
own hands? • Let your employer know that you are keen to be challenged
and developed by new and diverse experiences.
Three quarters of respondents have considered ways to make
their jobs more fulfilling and only 16% claim their employer Tips for employers
has helped them. • Consider leadership development that will provide
experiences to help your emerging leaders develop in their
Only a third feel they have had the support of their role as well as in their broader life.
employer once they have investigated training/development • Encourage employees to take up leadership roles outside of
opportunities themselves. Common Purpose’s 2004 survey work, and be supportive of endeavours that will allow them
found that 34% of young managers stated that their to enrich their life.
employers do not help them and 33% left companies after • Actively promote and facilitate them developing networks
completing graduate training schemes. with their peers in other sectors and industries
• Provide opportunities for emerging leaders to work on
Unfortunately nearly 1 in 3 (27%) young managers don’t cross-organisational projects that will provide them with new
know how to find out about training and development experiences and development opportunities.
opportunities that will make their jobs and their lives more • Be receptive to their ideas for how they would like to learn
fulfilling. and develop.
About
Common
Purpose
Common Purpose believes that…
• the problems that most need solving cross boundaries
• the way to solve them is to do the same
• that leaders are most effective when they broaden their
horizons and their networks real change doesn’t just
happen: leaders need to make it happen.

Inspiring leaders around the world to For further information,

make positive change happen. An independent, contact Una Farrell at Common Purpose
not-for-profit, international leadership on T: +44 (0)20 7608 8122 or
E: una.farrell@commonpurpose.org.uk
development organisation.
UK site: www.commonpurpose.org.uk
What is Common Purpose?
International site: www.commonpurpose.org
Since 1989, Common Purpose has been helping people
in leadership and decision-making positions to be more
effective: in their own organisations, in the community and in
society as a whole.

We run a variety of programmes for leaders of all ages,

backgrounds and sectors, in order to provide them with the
inspiration, the knowledge and the connections and they need
to make real change happen.

Over 120,000 leaders have participated in Common Purpose

programmes. We run more than 70 programmes in 70
locations around the world, operating throughout the UK
and in Hungary, South Africa, Sweden, The Netherlands,
Ireland, France and Germany. Common Purpose is developing
programmes in Ghana, India, and Turkey.