A Friday Reflection with Michael Huggett
Leadership development is one of the most important investments any organisation can make. Strong supervisors don’t become effective leaders simply because they’re promoted—they need the right training, coaching, and support to succeed. In this week’s Friday Reflection, Michael Huggett explores why supervisors aren’t usually the problem—they’re often being set up to fail. By investing in leadership development, businesses can build stronger teams, improve workplace safety, strengthen compliance, and create a culture where people thrive.
Your Supervisors Aren’t the Problem… They’re Being Set Up to Fail
After more than 20 years working with businesses and 16 years in the Police, one thing has become increasingly clear to me.
When something goes wrong—a workplace incident, poor employee performance, a customer complaint, or a compliance failure—the spotlight almost always falls on the supervisor.
“The supervisor should have managed it.”
“The supervisor should have seen it coming.”
“The supervisor should have dealt with the employee.”
Sometimes that’s true.
But in many cases, I believe we’re asking the wrong question.
Instead of asking why the supervisor failed, perhaps we should ask whether we gave them everything they needed to succeed.
The Most Difficult Job in the Business
In my experience, supervisors often have one of the toughest jobs in any organisation.
They sit between two very different groups.
On one side is senior management, expecting productivity, profitability, compliance, quality, safety, and customer satisfaction.
On the other side is the workforce, looking for guidance, support, fairness, and someone who understands the challenges they face every day.
Supervisors are expected to balance both worlds.
They are often the first person employees turn to when something goes wrong and the first person management looks to when targets aren’t achieved.
It can be an incredibly rewarding role—but it can also be one of the most demanding.
Without leadership development, supervisors are often expected to lead teams without the tools or confidence to succeed.
We Promote Technical Skills, Not Leadership Skills
One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is assuming that because someone is excellent at their job, they will automatically become an excellent supervisor.
The best fitter becomes the workshop supervisor.
The most experienced machine operator becomes the production leader.
The highest-performing salesperson becomes the team manager.
These people have earned the opportunity because of their technical ability.
But leadership development requires an entirely different set of skills.
One of the greatest challenges in workplace leadership is recognising that technical expertise does not automatically translate into effective people leadership. Becoming a successful supervisor requires ongoing leadership training, supervisor training, and practical experience in leading and developing others.
This became so evident to me early in my policing career.
Leading people means learning how to:
- Communicate clearly.
- Build trust.
- Coach and develop others.
- Manage performance.
- Resolve conflict.
- Make difficult decisions.
- Prioritise competing demands.
- Support wellbeing while maintaining accountability.
These skills don’t magically appear on the day someone receives a promotion.
Like any professional capability, leadership development is a continuous journey. Effective frontline leaders and supervisors grow through coaching, mentoring, practical experience, and ongoing learning. Organisations that invest in leadership development and supervisor training are far more likely to build confident leaders who improve employee performance, strengthen workplace culture, support compliance, and create safer, high-performing teams.
Strong team leadership is built over time. It requires commitment, feedback, and a willingness to continually learn. When organisations prioritise leadership development, they don’t just create better supervisors—they develop future leaders who are equipped to navigate challenges, inspire their teams, and contribute to long-term business success.
The Supervisor Squeeze
Many supervisors describe feeling caught in the middle.
Management asks:
- Why wasn’t the target achieved?
- Why wasn’t the incident prevented?
- Why hasn’t the paperwork been completed?
- Why isn’t the team performing?
Employees ask:
- Can I swap shifts?
- Why has this process changed?
- Can you help me with this problem?
- Why do we have to follow this procedure?
By the end of the day, supervisors have often spent more time solving everyone else’s problems than completing their own work.
They’re expected to supervise, coach, train, investigate incidents, complete reports, manage rosters, conduct toolbox talks, support injured workers, monitor safety, meet production targets, and still perform their own operational duties.
It is little wonder that many supervisors feel overwhelmed.
Great Managers Develop Great Supervisors
One of the most noticeable differences between high-performing organisations and struggling organisations isn’t the quality of their supervisors.
It’s the quality of the support those supervisors receive.
Effective managers don’t simply delegate responsibility.
They coach.
They mentor.
They make time to ask questions.
They provide constructive feedback.
They remove unnecessary barriers.
Most importantly, they create an environment where supervisors know they don’t have to solve every problem on their own.
Leadership should never feel like isolation.
Successful organisations understand that leadership development doesn’t end after a promotion. It should continue throughout a supervisor’s career.
What Every Supervisor Needs
If you want supervisors to succeed, consider whether you’re providing them with the fundamentals they need.
Every supervisor should have:
- A clear understanding of their role and responsibilities.
- Leadership and communication training.
- Regular one-on-one coaching with their manager.
- Authority to make appropriate decisions.
- Time to supervise, rather than simply complete operational work.
- Clear priorities when multiple demands arise.
- Access to practical systems that simplify administration and compliance.
- Encouragement to ask questions and seek guidance.
These aren’t luxuries.
They are investments in the long-term success of your business.
Every leadership development program should include practical coaching, mentoring, and ongoing feedback.
Five Questions Every Manager Should Ask
Before criticising a supervisor, take a moment to reflect.
Ask yourself:
- Have I clearly explained what I expect from them?
- Have I provided the training they need to lead others?
- Do they have enough time to supervise properly?
- Do I regularly coach them, or only speak to them when something goes wrong?
- Have I removed barriers that prevent them from succeeding?
If several of these questions make you uncomfortable, the issue may not be your supervisor.
It may be the support system around them.
Leadership Is About Building People
One of the best pieces of leadership advice I’ve ever heard is:
“People don’t leave difficult jobs as often as they leave poor leadership.”
I’ve seen supervisors achieve incredible results when they know their manager believes in them.
I’ve also seen capable supervisors lose confidence because they felt unsupported and isolated.
Leadership isn’t measured by how much work we can delegate.
It’s measured by how many people we help grow.
Michael’s Leadership Reflection
The next time a supervisor makes a mistake, resist the urge to ask, “Why didn’t they handle that better?”
Instead, ask a different question.
“Have we equipped them to succeed?”
Because great supervisors are rarely created by chance.
They are developed through clear expectations, consistent coaching, practical support and leaders who invest in their success.
If we want stronger workplaces, safer teams, better compliance and higher-performing organisations, we need to stop expecting supervisors to simply cope with increasing responsibility.
We need to start leading them.
After all, when supervisors succeed, everyone succeeds.
Investing in leadership development today creates stronger leaders for tomorrow.
About Michael Huggett
Michael Huggett is the Managing Director of CHD Partners and the creator of CIRT – Compliance • Induction • Reporting • Training. With more than 20 years’ experience helping Australian organisations improve leadership, safety and compliance, Michael believes great compliance starts with great leadership.
Final Thoughts: Leadership Development Builds Stronger Workplaces
Effective leadership development is one of the smartest investments any organisation can make. When supervisors are equipped with the right skills, coaching, and support, they become more confident leaders who can strengthen communication, improve employee engagement, and create a positive workplace culture.
Investing in leadership development doesn’t just benefit supervisors—it also helps businesses improve workplace safety, strengthen compliance, reduce staff turnover, and build high-performing teams. Organisations that prioritise leadership development for supervisors are better positioned to manage change, resolve challenges, and achieve long-term success.
Creating capable leaders requires more than technical expertise. It requires ongoing coaching, practical training, and a commitment to continuous improvement. For additional guidance on fostering strong leadership and a positive workplace culture, visit the Safe Work Australia resource on leadership and culture: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/leadership-and-culture.
If you’re ready to strengthen leadership development within your organisation, improve compliance, and empower your supervisors to lead with confidence, contact CHD Partners to learn how our leadership training, compliance solutions, and CIRT platform can support your business: https://www.chdpartners.com.au/contact-us/.
