Leaders place career transitions second only to dealing with divorce when considering different life events, according to research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Development Dimensions International (DDI). 

The research found that 59% of leaders rate career transitions as very or extremely challenging. It found that 65% of men say that their last promotion had a positive effect on their personal life compared to less than half of female leaders (49%).

The study found that one in three leaders says that their company provides little or very poor support to them in making the mental shift required for each new transition.

Vanessa Robinson, CIPD’s organisation and resourcing adviser, says: “Our research shows that coaches and external advisors play the most significant role in leadership transitions with 43 % of senior level leaders citing their contribution.

“We wouldn’t expect people to take on an unfamiliar technical role without the appropriate training and support. Yet all too often we’re happy to let people loose on important leadership roles without helping them to develop the necessary skills.

“Providing training and equipping leaders with the right resources and development tools are essential.  Leaders need to understand that their new role requires different ways of thinking and a ‘mental shift’. “