Lens of Success

A company hires four top MBA graduates to become new first-line supervisors, each with strong grades and comparable IQ scores and subject matter knowledge-but also with different approaches to leadership. Years pass, and the four employees all view that mid-point as young managers to be defining moments in their careers. A research suggests that as individuals who are more highly compensated than their peers progress from supervisors to senior executives, they follow a predictable path. Change is cited by leaders as the most challenging aspect of their jobs, and the pressure to cope with change will only increase; however, complacency and force of habit are inadequate excuses for lack of progress. When their grow stalls, so do their careers.