NEW YORK, July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Employees remain optimistic and eager to build new skills, but many organizations may be missing a major opportunity to turn that ambition into employee development, leadership development and workforce performance, according to new research released today by the American Management Association (AMA), a global leader in professional development.
AMA’s new Whitepaper, Ambitious Employees. Underprepared Managers. A Growing Organizational Risk., is based on responses from more than 1,000 professionals worldwide and examines how employees and managers experience talent development, performance support, leadership readiness and workplace learning culture.
The findings point to a clear paradox: Employees are not disengaged from growth. In fact, they are actively seeking it. Yet many say they lack the professional development opportunities needed to fully succeed. At the same time, many managers report being promoted into people leadership roles without formal leadership or management training, leaving them responsible for developing others before being fully prepared themselves.
“Organizations have a valuable asset right in front of them: employees who are ready and motivated to grow,” said Manny Avramidis, President & CEO, AMA. “The risk is that many managers have not been given the tools or support to turn that motivation into performance. Talent development can’t sit outside the daily work experience. It needs to be reinforced by managers through communication and practical application.”
Among the report’s key findings:
- Employees remain confident about their future: 87% of respondents said they feel somewhat to very confident about their future advancement opportunities.
- Manager support is falling short for many employees:. Only 27% of respondents described their managers as highly effective, while 66% reported not receiving frequent support.
- Many managers are stepping into leadership without formal preparation: 51% of respondents said they were promoted into people management without formal leadership training.
- The most urgent skill gaps are deeply human: Respondents pointed to communication, leadership, decision making, collaboration, critical thinking, prioritization and navigating ambiguity as essential capabilities for today’s workplace.
- Development is still not sufficiently embedded into work: Only 30% of respondents reported having enough opportunities to develop new skills.
The research suggests that organizations seeking to improve engagement, retention and productivity should focus not only on offering learning programs, but also on building the management capability and workplace systems that allow learning to take hold. Formal training remains important, but employees are more likely to apply and retain new skills when learning is reinforced through coaching, feedback, stretch assignments, peer learning and day-to-day practice.
The report also highlights the growing importance of first-time manager readiness. When high-performing employees are promoted without preparation, organizations risk creating inconsistent employee experiences across teams.
“Managers are often the link between employee potential and organizational performance,” Avramidis said. “When organizations prepare managers to develop people effectively, they strengthen both individual growth and business outcomes. That is when talent becomes a strategic advantage.”
Ambitious Employees. Underprepared Managers. A Growing Organizational Risk. is available for complimentary download here.
About AMA
American Management Association (AMA) has helped millions of professionals, through its world-class training and development programs, bring about positive change in their performance in order to improve business results. Learn more: amanet.org
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SOURCE American Management Association
