Knowing but Not Enacting Leadership: Navigating the Leadership Knowing–Doing Gap in Leveraging Leadership Development

Abstract

What managers know about leadership (e.g. conceptual and procedural knowledge) does not necessarily predict what they do (applied knowledge) in organizations. This research explores the leadership knowing-doing gap, which we define as a discrepancy between managers' leadership knowing and the extent to which they transfer it into leadership doing.Taking a phenomenological approach, we explore how and why managers experience the leadership knowing-doing gap, analyzing 65 critical incidents from interviews with 22 managers in leadership roles across various organizational levels in the United Kingdom. We present the leadership knowing-doing gap as a multifaceted, dynamic and complex experience involving cognitive, affective, and behavioral elements. We discuss how these elements interplay in influencing the dynamics of creating or widening the gap on the one hand, and preventing or closing the gap on the other hand. We shed light into factors that influence the leadership knowing-doing gap: motivation, prioritization, and confidence to enact leadership. We also highlight the role of the context in discrepancies between leadership knowing and doing. Our definition and proposed framework offer a conceptualization that advances the understanding of the leadership knowing-doing gap. We end with our theoretical contributions and practical implications for both management learning and leadership development.

Forging the Future: Strategic Approaches to Quantum AI Integration for Industry Transformation

“…They provide a space for employees to ask questions, engage in problem-solving, and witness real-world applications. Ahmadi and Vogel [77] suggest that organizations can incentivize continuous learning through career progression, monetary rewards, or recognition. Such incentives can motivate employees to take ownership of their personal development.…”

Tension between Digital Distance and Physical Presence in Hybrid Teaching: Evidence from Two Natural Experiments During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a French Business School

“…To answer our research question, we borrow from the learning literature and consider our question through the lens of the theory of planned behavior (Ahmadi & Vogel, 2022;Baden, 2014). We propose that different learning outcomes change the effect of physical presence on normative and control beliefs and, therefore, on the level of learner engagement.…”

Effective leadership development

“…The leader's knowledge, level of leadership expertise, and ability to effectively engage with their team influence this relationship. 2 To ensure success, leaders must carefully consider their style and continuously develop their knowledge and skills. By doing so, they can avoid underutilizing their potential and continue to grow as effective leaders.…”

“…By doing so, they can avoid underutilizing their potential and continue to grow as effective leaders. 2 According to Leroy and colleagues, developing leadership skills shouldn't be limited to replicating a particular leader's behavior and their leadership style. 3 Instead, the authors propose that leadership skills can be acquired through continuous participation in leadership development programs that emphasize three fundamental elements: the program's vision, method, and impact.…”

“…A critical factor in this equation is the relationship between a leader's style and the engagement of their team. The leader's knowledge, level of leadership expertise, and ability to effectively engage with their team influence this relationship 2. To ensure success, leaders must carefully consider their style and continuously develop their knowledge and skills.…”