The Qualities that Get Managers Promoted Are the Reasons People Don’t Like Them

Why It Matters

The gap between promotion criteria and employee expectations threatens engagement, retention, and overall performance, urging firms to rethink how they identify and develop leaders.

Key Takeaways

• Executives rise on confidence, competitiveness, visibility, self‑promotion.
• Employees value communication, integrity, accountability, sound decision‑making.
• 59% say arrogance erodes leadership trust.
• Over 70% flag emotional volatility as a major issue.

Pulse Analysis

The Hogan Assessments study highlights a widening leadership divide that could reshape talent strategies worldwide. By analyzing personality data from more than 21,000 senior executives and surveying nearly 10,000 employees in 25 countries, the report uncovers that the attributes traditionally linked to promotion—high confidence, competitiveness, visibility and self‑promotion—rarely align with what workers actually value. Employees consistently rank communication clarity, integrity, accountability and sound judgment as the hallmarks of effective managers, indicating a growing demand for leaders who build trust rather than merely attract attention.

This misalignment has tangible business consequences. When promotion pathways favor bold, self‑promoting personalities, organizations risk fostering environments where arrogance and emotional volatility erode team morale. The survey shows 59% of staff view arrogance as a trust‑breaker, while 72% cite unpredictable behavior as a major workplace problem. Such perceptions can drive disengagement, increase turnover, and dampen productivity, especially as companies navigate evolving workplace cultures that prioritize transparency and psychological safety.

To close the gap, firms must recalibrate leadership development and succession planning. Aligning assessment tools with employee‑valued traits—clear communication, ethical conduct, accountability and decisive judgment—can create pipelines that produce leaders who both perform and inspire. Embedding these criteria into promotion frameworks, coaching programs, and performance metrics will not only enhance team effectiveness but also strengthen retention, positioning companies to thrive in a talent‑driven economy.