Research Roundup: How Careers Shape Future Leaders
Article
Getting promoted is often seen as evidence that someone is ready for greater responsibility. But the skills that help employees advance are not always those they need to succeed in their next role.
Technical expertise can open the door to management, while broader capabilities become increasingly important afterward. New leaders must navigate competing expectations, often without the authority or support they need. And once they become managers, their decisions can shape the careers of others.
For business schools preparing future managers, three studies offer insights into how leadership develops and what makes it effective.
The Skills That Get You Promoted May Hold You Back Later
Becoming an expert can accelerate your career. But what happens when the expertise that earned you a promotion becomes less valuable in your new role?
Researchers examined the career histories of 945 inventors at 20 major pharmaceutical companies, combining patent records with professional information to track their progression through 2021.
They found that specialization was associated with faster advancement early in scientists’ careers. A 1-standard-deviation increase in specialization corresponded to a 13.9 percent higher promotion rate within scientific positions and a 24.2 percent higher likelihood of moving into a first management role.
Once employees entered management, however, the relationship reversed. Greater specialization was associated with a 6.5 percent lower likelihood of further managerial promotion.
How specialization impacts promotions.
Likelihood of promotion into a first management role
Likelihood of further promotion within management
Associations with a 1-standard-deviation increase in specialization among pharmaceutical scientists.
The researchers describe a tension between “dynamic demands” and “durable skills”: Employees accumulate expertise over time, but the requirements of their jobs change as their careers progress.
While specialized knowledge can help scientists excel at technical work, managers increasingly need to coordinate teams, integrate different perspectives, and oversee projects that extend beyond their own expertise.
The findings suggest that preparing employees for advancement may require broadening their experience before they reach management, rather than waiting until their responsibilities change.
Authors: Shinjinee Chattopadhyay, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign; Shinjae Won, Ewha Womans University; and Matthew Bidwell, University of Pennsylvania
The Hidden Challenges of Becoming a Leader
A promotion often brings greater responsibility, but not necessarily the authority or resources needed to manage it.
In interviews with 45 audit senior associates at large U.S. accounting firms, researchers explored what happens when experienced professionals begin supervising colleagues while remaining accountable to more senior managers.
They identified three recurring tensions. Senior associates must remain available to junior staff while finding uninterrupted time for complex work. They are expected to demonstrate expertise while continuing to learn. And they must exercise independent judgment while accepting that managers and partners retain final authority.
“Everything feels like it’s a priority. Which one is the priority? —Audit senior associate interviewed for the study
Faced with these competing demands, some participants tried to reduce the pressure by focusing on one responsibility at the expense of another. For example, taking over a junior colleague’s tasks might help meet a deadline but leave less time for coaching and development.
Others developed strategies to manage competing expectations, including communicating proactively with supervisors, protecting time for focused work, and drawing on colleagues for support.
The researchers found that access to time, information, and supportive workplace relationships helped participants navigate these demands more constructively.
The study highlights a frequently overlooked part of leadership development: New leaders need opportunities to develop judgment and people-management capabilities along with organizational support to exercise them.
Authors: Emily S. Blum, Texas A&M University; and Kris Hoang, University of Alabama
A Good Manager Can Change the Course of Your Career
What makes a manager effective? The answer may have as much to do with recognizing employees’ strengths as with directing their work.
A study drawing on personnel records from a multinational company examined the career trajectories of approximately 200,000 white-collar employees and 30,000 managers across 100 countries over 11 years.
The researcher identified successful managers based on how quickly they had advanced into management. She then used the company’s practice of rotating managers between teams to examine how employees' career trajectories changed after being assigned to managers with different levels of prior career success.
The findings suggest that more successful managers helped employees move into positions better suited to their skills through both promotions and lateral transfers. These changes were associated with substantial and lasting improvements in employees’ career progression and productivity.
200,000 employees. 30,000 managers. 100 countries.
One multinational company’s personnel records reveal how managerial decisions shape employees’ career trajectories.
Importantly, the benefits extended beyond employees’ time under a particular manager. The study suggests that better matching happens when managers take time to understand employees’ strengths and encourage them to explore opportunities beyond their current roles, including through short-term projects and internal transfers. By helping employees find positions better suited to their abilities, managers can generate productivity gains that persist even after they have moved on.
The study offers a different perspective on managerial effectiveness. Rather than focusing exclusively on motivating or supervising employees, it highlights how managers can influence performance by recognizing individual capabilities and helping people find roles where they can make the greatest contribution.
For business schools, the findings reinforce the importance of developing managers who can identify talent, understand employees’ strengths, and support career mobility within organizations.
Author: Virginia Minni, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Together, these studies suggest that career development involves more than acquiring expertise or securing promotions. As the capabilities required for success evolve, emerging leaders must learn to navigate competing expectations, and managers play an important role in shaping the opportunities available to others.
For business schools, the challenge is to prepare graduates not only to advance in their own careers but also to become leaders capable of supporting the development of others.