Rising Through the Leadership Pipeline

Charan, Drotter and Noel describe in The Leadership Pipeline six major career passages leaders encounter as they rise in an organisation. Each passage is a significant transition that demands a new set of leadership capabilities. Every step introduces an immediate performance gap because leaders are promoted before they fully possess the skills needed to succeed at the next level. Without the right support, even top performers can become low performers within months.

This is where coaching, structured learning and intentional development become essential. Leaders entering a new role often face uncertainty, vulnerability and internal pressure to prove themselves. As Michael Watkins writes in The First 90 Days, many organisations still operate with a sink or swim mindset. The focus is on results, not on learning. Some leaders swim because they land in the right context. Others sink because the support they needed came too late or never arrived.

From the first transition of managing self to managing others, to the complexity of leading businesses and ultimately stepping into C level responsibility, the need for external support increases. Yet paradoxically, real coaching and honest feedback often decrease as leaders move up. From passage three onward, leaders are frequently left alone while the stakes become exponentially higher.

This is why continuous education, structured onboarding and external executive coaching are not optional. They are strategic investments that accelerate learning, prevent avoidable failure and enable sustainable performance. John Mattone’s Intelligent Leadership framework reinforces that great leadership begins with strengthening the inner core before developing the outer core of skills. Leaders who align both grow faster through transitions and build stronger cultures around them.

I have seen leaders thrive when they receive the right mix of coaching, mentoring and learning resources. I have also seen leaders who were exceptional in one role struggle significantly in the next, simply because they were expected to navigate the transition alone.

Supporting leaders through these passages safeguards business value, strengthens culture and builds a healthy leadership pipeline.

If these ideas resonate and contribute to your understanding of leadership, I would appreciate your support in the Global Gurus Leadership vote.

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