When knowledge isn't power

Research investigating leadership transitions is littered with examples of how ‘high potentials’ with outstanding records of achievement derail as they are unable or unwilling to adapt.¹ Although opportunities for skills development can help mitigate this risk, such opportunities all too often neglect the very first stage of learning: unlearning.

As managers and leaders transition, they need to unlearn behaviours that may have brought them success in the past, so that they can begin to learn those that facilitate future performance. For example, a focus on high solo performance needs to be unlearned and translated into an ability to focus on achieving through others. Equally, core tactical behaviours need to be unlearned and replaced with strategic behaviours that bring success at higher levels.