SHRM research reveals leadership and management skills are a top priority for L&D leaders, but engaging managers presents a challenge. In SHRM’s 2026 L&D Priorities and Perspectives report, nearly a third of L&D leaders (31%) name leadership skills as a top priority, while 30% point to management skills.
These priorities demonstrate that L&D leaders understand the importance of leadership capability and practical management skills that keep teams performing at their best. For HR executives focused on L&D, the challenge with balancing both priorities comes from enlisting managers for their own development.
The Manager Engagement Challenge
The focus on developing leaders is showing up across the C-suite. In SHRM’s 2026 CHRO Priorities and Perspectives report, 46% of CHROs identified leadership and manager development among their top-three priorities for the year ahead. At the same time, 37% of HR executives said establishing effective leadership development programs is a challenge. This demonstrates that organizations know strong managers matter, even if building them at scale remains difficult.
L&D leaders also recognize this challenge. In the L&D Priorities and Perspectives report, about one-third of L&D leaders (34%) say engaging managers in continuous learning remains a significant challenge.
Managers are missing out for a number of reasons. They’re juggling competing demands from leadership and their team, all while potentially fighting burnout. Carving out time for their own development often falls to the bottom of the list. When that happens, the very people responsible for growing their teams miss the chance to grow themselves.
Closing this gap calls for a thoughtful approach from HR that meets managers where they are.
"You have to open the door to learning for everyone while giving managers the focused, relevant support their roles demand," said Jim Link, SHRM-SCP, CHRO at SHRM. "Balancing both is how you turn good intentions into real capability."
When you pair broad access with targeted development, you empower managers to lead with confidence and equip your whole organization to move forward together. The result is a culture where growth belongs to everyone, and where your leaders and managers set the pace for what comes next.
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