Bridging the Leadership Gap: Harborbridge 2025 Leadership Report

Leadership development is a priority for many organizations, but too often, the focus stays at the top.

At Harborbridge, we support leaders at every level from executives navigating complexity to new managers taking on people leadership for the first time. Time and again, we see early-career leaders getting the least support, despite being closest to where culture, engagement, and performance actually play out. New managers are being overlooked and it’s costing companies more than they realize.

To get a clearer picture, we examined current research from Gallup, Gartner, DDI, and SHRM. The data is striking: new leaders are stepping into high-pressure roles without the training, support, or clarity they need and the impact is showing up in retention, team performance, and long-term leadership readiness.

Being great at your last job doesn’t automatically prepare someone to lead. There’s a meaningful difference between promoting a high performer and actually preparing them for the challenges of people leadership. Without support, even your most capable new managers can stall, impacting teams, culture, and long-term growth.

But there’s good news, too. Organizations that act early, before the cracks turn into chasms, are seeing stronger teams, better retention, and real gains in leadership capability.

We’re at a turning point. Download the report to see the data, the risks, and the questions your organization needs to be asking.