Identify leadership skills lacking in yourself or your organisation. Learn how to recognise gaps, understand their impact, and develop missing capabilities effectively.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Fri 9th January 2026
Leadership skills lacking in individuals and organisations represent one of the most significant barriers to business success. Research consistently shows that leadership capability gaps cost organisations in multiple ways—failed initiatives, lost talent, poor performance, and missed opportunities. Yet many leaders remain unaware of their deficiencies, and organisations often struggle to identify where leadership capability falls short of requirements. Recognising what's missing is the essential first step toward building what's needed.
What makes addressing leadership gaps particularly challenging is that the people who most need development often least recognise their deficiencies. The Dunning-Kruger effect suggests that those with weaker skills tend to overestimate their capability, whilst stronger performers often underestimate theirs. This dynamic means that identifying leadership skills lacking requires deliberate assessment methods rather than relying on self-perception alone.
Recognition precedes development.
Common leadership skills lacking include: emotional intelligence (understanding and managing emotions), strategic thinking (long-term perspective), delegation (appropriate responsibility distribution), difficult conversations (addressing problems directly), listening (truly understanding others), coaching (developing team members), and change leadership (guiding transformation). These gaps appear frequently across industries and levels.
Common leadership gaps:
| Gap Area | What's Missing | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Emotional intelligence | Self and other awareness | Relationship failures |
| Strategic thinking | Long-term perspective | Tactical firefighting |
| Delegation | Appropriate distribution | Micromanagement, burnout |
| Difficult conversations | Direct problem addressing | Issues fester |
| Listening | True understanding | Missed information, disengagement |
| Coaching | Development focus | Team stagnation |
| Change leadership | Transformation guidance | Failed initiatives |
Signs you may be lacking leadership skills include: repeated feedback themes (same issues mentioned by multiple sources), team performance problems (persistent underperformance), high turnover (people leaving your team), promotion plateaus (career stalling), relationship difficulties (recurring conflicts), stress and overwork (inability to delegate), and self-doubt (persistent uncertainty about decisions). These symptoms often indicate underlying capability gaps.
Warning signs:
Gaps create cascading consequences.
When leaders lack essential skills: teams underperform (capability ceiling limited by leader), talent leaves (good people seek better leadership), engagement drops (disconnection from ineffective leadership), initiatives fail (execution suffers without capable leadership), culture deteriorates (leadership behaviours shape environment), and results suffer (business outcomes reflect leadership quality). The cost of leadership gaps compounds over time.
Cascade of consequences:
| Consequence | How It Develops | Business Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Team underperformance | Leader capability limits team | Reduced output |
| Talent departure | People seek better leadership | Capability loss |
| Engagement decline | Disconnection from leader | Lower productivity |
| Initiative failure | Poor execution | Wasted investment |
| Culture problems | Behaviour sets tone | Systemic issues |
| Result shortfall | Outcomes reflect leadership | Financial impact |
Leadership gaps persist because: awareness is lacking (leaders don't recognise deficiencies), feedback is avoided (uncomfortable truth not shared), development is deprioritised (operational demands take precedence), organisations tolerate weakness (results override leadership quality), quick fixes are preferred (training substitutes for development), and accountability is missing (no consequences for leadership failures). Addressing gaps requires confronting these enablers.
Persistence factors:
Systematic assessment reveals actual gaps.
Assess leadership skill gaps through: 360-degree feedback (multi-source perspective), self-assessment (honest self-evaluation), performance data (results as capability indicator), team metrics (engagement, retention, performance), behavioural observation (actual leadership behaviour), and comparison to standards (gap between current and required capability). Multiple methods provide more accurate assessment than any single approach.
Assessment methods:
| Method | What It Reveals | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| 360 feedback | How others perceive you | Multiple perspectives |
| Self-assessment | Self-perception | Starting point |
| Performance data | Results achieved | Objective outcomes |
| Team metrics | Team health indicators | Leadership impact |
| Observation | Actual behaviour | Reality check |
| Standard comparison | Gap to requirement | Development target |
Questions that reveal gaps include: "What feedback do I consistently receive?" (pattern identification), "Where do I avoid or struggle?" (difficulty indicators), "What do I delegate least effectively?" (control issues), "Which conversations do I postpone?" (discomfort areas), "Where does my team underperform?" (capability ceiling), and "What would my team say I need to develop?" (external perspective).
Revealing questions:
Closing gaps requires deliberate development.
Develop lacking skills through: acknowledging the gap (honest recognition), prioritising development (focusing on highest-impact areas), seeking experiences (challenging assignments that build capability), getting support (coaching, mentoring, feedback), practising deliberately (intentional skill application), and measuring progress (tracking improvement). Development requires sustained effort, not quick interventions.
Development process:
| Step | Action | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Acknowledge | Honest recognition | Motivation for change |
| Prioritise | Focus on highest impact | Concentrated effort |
| Experience | Challenging assignments | Capability building |
| Support | Coaching, mentoring | Accelerated learning |
| Practice | Deliberate application | Skill reinforcement |
| Measure | Track progress | Sustained improvement |
Support that helps includes: executive coaching (professional development guidance), mentoring (experienced leader support), peer learning (learning from colleagues), formal training (foundational knowledge), feedback systems (ongoing input), and accountability partners (commitment reinforcement). The most effective development combines multiple support types.
Support options:
Organisations must address leadership gaps systematically.
Organisations should address gaps through: systematic assessment (identifying where gaps exist), honest feedback cultures (enabling truth-telling), development investment (resources for capability building), experience provision (developmental assignments), coaching support (professional development help), performance integration (leadership in evaluation), and succession planning (building future capability).
Organisational response:
| Action | Implementation | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment | Systematic capability evaluation | Gap identification |
| Feedback culture | Enable honest input | Awareness creation |
| Investment | Development resources | Capability building |
| Experiences | Developmental assignments | Applied learning |
| Coaching | Professional support | Accelerated development |
| Performance integration | Leadership in evaluation | Accountability |
| Succession planning | Future capability | Leadership continuity |
Replace rather than develop when: gaps are fundamental (core capability missing), willingness is absent (leader won't develop), time is critical (development timeline exceeds need), harm is occurring (leader damaging team or business), or repeated development has failed (multiple attempts without improvement). Development works when leaders are willing and capable of growth; replacement becomes necessary when these conditions don't exist.
Decision factors:
Common lacking skills include emotional intelligence (understanding emotions), strategic thinking (long-term perspective), delegation (distributing responsibility), difficult conversations (direct problem addressing), listening (truly understanding), coaching (developing others), and change leadership (guiding transformation). These gaps appear frequently across industries and levels.
Signs include repeated feedback themes (same issues mentioned), team performance problems, high turnover, promotion plateaus, recurring relationship difficulties, stress from inability to delegate, and persistent decision uncertainty. Multiple symptoms often indicate underlying capability gaps.
Teams underperform, talent leaves, engagement drops, initiatives fail, culture deteriorates, and results suffer. Leadership gaps create cascading consequences—the cost compounds over time as problems multiply and opportunities are missed.
Use 360-degree feedback, honest self-assessment, performance data analysis, team metrics review, behavioural observation, and comparison to capability standards. Multiple methods provide more accurate assessment than any single approach.
Acknowledge the gap honestly, prioritise highest-impact areas, seek challenging experiences, get support (coaching, mentoring), practise deliberately, and measure progress. Development requires sustained effort over time, not quick training interventions.
Replace when gaps are fundamental, willingness to develop is absent, time is critical, harm is occurring, or repeated development attempts have failed. Development works with willing, capable leaders; replacement becomes necessary otherwise.
Gaps persist because leaders don't recognise deficiencies, feedback is avoided, development is deprioritised, organisations tolerate weakness, quick fixes are preferred over genuine development, and accountability for leadership quality is missing.
Leadership skills lacking represent development opportunities, not permanent limitations. The first step—honest recognition of gaps—is often the hardest. Most leaders have blind spots; the question is whether you'll discover yours before they damage your effectiveness.
Seek genuine feedback about your leadership. Ask trusted colleagues, review 360 data honestly, and reflect on patterns in your career. Where do you consistently struggle? What feedback themes recur? Which situations do you avoid? These questions reveal where development is needed.
Commit to addressing your most significant gap. Focus beats breadth in development—meaningful improvement in one area creates more impact than superficial attention to many. Seek experiences that challenge your weakness, get support from coaches or mentors, practise deliberately, and measure your progress. Leadership capability can be built; the only question is whether you'll do the work required.