Yesterday, I had the chance to connect with some of my peers to discuss the most pressing challenges facing today’s CHROs. One topic that kept bubbling up is how managers of the future can no longer function as task overseers. The leaders of the future are the ones who embrace a coaching mindset - creating strategies that play to individual strengths and building a culture where everyone can see their path forward. We have work to do. Only 15% of professionals say their manager has helped them build a career plan in the past 6 months according to our 2025 Workplace Learning Report. But I’m encouraged and inspired by all of the innovative thinking being done by my peers to build high EQ leaders that spark collaboration, draw out the best ideas, and develop individual contributors into the kind of leaders we need. Thanks for chatting with me Aneesh Raman - the energy and conviction you bring to these discussions always reminds me why this work matters so much!
LinkedIn is lucky to have you helping show a new path forward — one that redefines the big role managers can play during a period of historic changes hitting work. After yesterday’s conversations, I’m more convinced than ever that CPOs and CHROs — and the talent function as a whole — are ready to meet the moment. They’ll be key to helping organizations finally restructure work not around technological capability, but around human capability and human potential.
Dare I take the challenge a bit further? Tomorrow’s leaders don’t just need to coach better or support more—they need to unlearn old ways and relearn how to lead in a very different world. This may mean: Build a new skill set—like human operating system fluency (a blend of empathy, behavioral insight, human-centered design), digital literacy, and cultural intelligence. Think beyond linear careers (including their own). Instead, set broad intentions, embrace portfolio careers, and make conscious choices that may not follow traditional logic. Strengthen critical human thinking—in a world shaped by tech and AI, the ability to discern what’s fair, ethical, and truly human is more essential than ever. We need to start building for a (near) future that plays by very different rules.
Thanks for sharing this, Teuila. I really connected with your point about the evolving role of managers—moving from just overseeing tasks to truly coaching and supporting career growth. It’s a shift we’re also working on in our organization, and it’s not always easy, but so important. That stat from the 2024 LinkedIn Learning Report—only 15% of professionals getting career planning support recently—really stuck with me. It shows how much more we can do to empower our people leaders and create space for real, meaningful development conversations. Appreciate you sparking this reflection. These are exactly the kinds of conversations we need to be having more often.
Totally agree - this is exactly what I often see in companies. Task oversight could already be left to AI, if not to entry-level managers. Yet there's still a strong focus on short-term fixes instead of long-term thinking. And if you dare to ask the head of the company why they’re not thinking long term (if the room allows for it, you know better), the polished answer will be something like “we’re still processing it", but the honest one - no time - they’re too busy with day-to-day tasks. And that is ALREADY a problem. That’s how we slowly build a culture of constant fixing instead of forward thinking. As I like to say - too busy with "daycare". It’s just demotivating to see how much potential gets lost when long-term strategy takes a back seat.
Let’s hope it’s more than grandstanding for the sake of looking / sounding good…here’s hoping that that culture is ever present across the business…like in sport it’s never really down to the organisation but down to how the coach / manager wants to make people feel. They have the ability to make life enjoyable or not for their people. You can be at the best club in the world winning trophies but if you don’t feel good doing it what’s the point. Same goes for companies
Brilliant insight, Teuila. Couldn’t agree more, the coaching mindset is what separates future-ready leaders from traditional task managers. In my work with leaders and teams, I've seen how the right questions can unlock engagement, creativity, and ownership. We can’t afford to treat leadership as a checklist anymore. It’s time to build leaders who listen deeply, challenge constructively, and help others grow intentionally. Appreciate the work you're doing to push this forward!
Teuila Hanson This is exactly the kind of emotional intelligence our future depends on. When managers step into the role of coach—not just taskmaster—they shift from managing output to unlocking potential. That shift requires trust-building, clarity of communication, and yes… a real investment in career development. It’s staggering that only 15% have a career plan conversation. That’s not a stat—it’s a signal. One that tells us we’re overdue for a leadership evolution rooted in empathy, curiosity, and strategic empowerment. Grateful for conversations like these that move the needle forward.
Teuila Hanson this is such an important topic. In my leadership development work we help leaders recognise the difference between being in 'leader mode', 'manager mode' and 'operator mode'. In many organisations, the intensity of back-to-back meetings, pressure to deliver results and hit deadlines often pulls people down into 'operator-manager mode', where the focus becomes all about the task and the result. 'Leader mode' requires space and focus on energy and relationships, but it can be really challenging for people to spend more time there. I'd love to connect and chat further on it!
💯 Absolutely agree that managers need to develop as coaches versus simply task overseers. HBR also says this is an essential shift in our era of ongoing and disruptive change. No manager can know it all - it's about coaching teams to find creative solutions and adapt rapidly. Leaders who coach also support employee well-being and company culture. That's why I'm so passionate about helping leaders make this transition and unlock their team's potential.
One of the things I appreciate most about Aneesh Raman is how--to put it bluntly--nerdy + passionate he is about not just his career but other aspects of life (studying the history of work, etc.), and he brings that unabashedly into the workplace. Even though managers can't always jump into the game or intervene directly, they can lead by example--and sometimes just showing (some of) your cards, divulging some of your passion, can show others that it is indeed not just ok but wonderful and important to bring your passions to work. I occasionally hear people say "well, I don't have any passions" or "my hobbies don't really relate to the work I do" and on the surface that may well be true. But the reality is that the curiosity, inquisitiveness, discipline and creativity that people display in their personal hobbies are ALL skills that can translate into their "day job"--they just don't always see this as a viable or safe option, because the culture of the workplace or their direct boss squashes such attempts as frilly or unprofessional endeavors. Meanwhile, companies that cultivate, nurture + harness creativity are the ones leading with innovation + gaining the competitive edge. My one + only tool to cultivate all this: coaching.