I am a coach, mentor and advisor for emerging leaders.
Who are ’emerging leaders’?
They are high-potential professionals, typically in their 30s, early-to-mid stage in their careers who demonstrate leadership qualities without necessarily holding formal leadership positions yet.
In fact, I even consider young business owners or scale up management team “emerging leaders” – it could be their first time leading a growing team.
Leadership Crisis
Emerging leaders are the rising stars and future hope of organisations everywhere. They are the critical links in the leadership pipeline and succession planning.
Yet, according to CEB Global, 60% of new managers fail within the first 24 months in their new role.
When new managers fail, the consequences ripple throughout the organisation:
– Their direct reports perform 15% worse on average than those under high-performing managers
– They’re 20% more likely to leave the organisation or become disengaged
The first two years are particularly critical for emerging leaders, as this period is described as “like a forge where their future form is shaped.” Without proper guidance, new managers develop coping mechanisms that can lead to bad habits that become ingrained in their leadership style and organizational culture.
My Personal Journey
As a matter of fact, I know this terrain intimately because I’ve walked it myself.
I was once that emerging leader who rejected leadership role, became disengaged and eventually left the organization.
And then I was the ‘failed hire’ who fired my managers because I was utterly disappointed with them because I felt they failed to give me the necessary support I needed.
Looking back now, I can see clear patterns in my behaviors, conflicts, disappointments, and struggles. I recognise the inflection points—moments when I made pivotal decisions that created domino effects, altering both my professional and personal trajectories.
My Mission
My desire to “right these wrongs” never stopped. It has since become both my mission and passion to coach and develop emerging leaders.
I see myself in them. I want to give my very best to help them develop—first as adults, then as leaders—because the two journeys are inseparable. The extent to which you develop yourself as an adult will determine how far you can go as a leader.
This Journal’s Purpose
This journal will record my experiences, learnings, research into the field of leadership, along with related topics like adult development, career transitions and life trajectory.
It serves as both my field notebook – documenting what truly propels leaders forward – and a personal space where I process my own journey and share insights after deep reflection.
My hope is that by sharing these insights, I can help others avoid the missteps I made and find not just success, but fulfilment and purpose in their leadership journey.
Yours truly,
Janet