Leadership Transitions: A Study of the Failure Rate of Career Progression Due to Individual Contributor versus People Leadership Mindsets in Post-Recessionary Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia

Despite the efforts of many leadership development programs, more than 80 percent of new leaders transitioning into the first role as a leader fail to make a successful transition (Korn Ferry Leadership Principles, 2018). This paper studied a leader’s failure to shift his or her thinking and behaviors from an individual contributor mindset to a people leader mindset. This research is suggesting that organizations adopt two tools to improve leadership transition effectiveness: Leadership Transition Readiness Assessment, and Start, Stop, Change, and Transition questionnaire.