A leadership pipeline is a deliberate system for moving people through distinct leadership levels, each with different work, skills and values. In Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter and James Noel's model, every promotion is a role change, not a bigger version of the old job. Build the pipeline around those changes.
What is the Leadership Pipeline model?
The Leadership Pipeline is a framework from Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter and James Noel. Its publisher, Wiley, describes it as a proven framework for priming future leaders by planning for their development, coaching them, and measuring the results of those efforts.
Its core idea is simple. Each leadership level requires its own skills, its own use of time and its own work values. Someone who is excellent at one level can still struggle at the next, not because they lack talent, but because they are still doing the old job.
What are the six passages in the pipeline?
The book describes six turns in the pipeline, which it calls passages. This is not knowledge you gain from a single course. It is a change in your daily habits and your values.
| Passage | From | To | What must change |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Managing self | Managing others | Stop doing the work yourself; get it done through others |
| Second | Managing others | Managing managers | Let go of individual tasks; select and coach managers |
| Third | Managing managers | Functional manager | Blend functional strategy with business strategy; take a broad, long-term view |
| Fourth | Functional manager | Business manager | Judge plans by profit, balancing short and long term |
| Fifth | Business manager | Group manager | Judge the portfolio and capital allocation across businesses; develop business managers |
| Sixth | Group manager | Enterprise leader | Lead the whole organization and its strategy |
Source: Charan, Drotter and Noel, The Leadership Pipeline (Wiley), book excerpt.
Why does the pipeline matter for your business?
According to Gallup, managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. Yet Gallup estimates that organizations choose the wrong person for a manager role 82% of the time.
Source: Gallup, How Managers Impact Team Productivity.
The reason is simple. Companies promote their best-performing individual contributor, then leave the new manager to learn the job alone. The pipeline model above turns that habit into a structured, step-by-step transition.
How do you build a leadership pipeline step by step?
Start with what each level really requires, then match selection, development and review to it. Wiley, the publisher, describes the approach as planning for development, coaching and measuring results.
- Define the work, skills, time use and values expected at each level in plain language.
- Assess people against the next level, not against their current results alone.
- Coach each new leader through the first months of a passage, in person or on Zoom.
- Ask leaders to let go of tasks that belong to the level below.
- Review the bench regularly and link succession planning to real openings.
Where do pipelines tend to break?
The book shows that a pipeline can clog at any passage, and the first passage is where people often trip. New managers keep doing the work that made them successful, and managers of managers hold first-line managers accountable for technical work rather than managerial work. Naming this openly, early and kindly is often the most useful coaching you can offer.
FAQ
What is the Leadership Pipeline model in one sentence?
It is a framework by Charan, Drotter and Noel that defines the work, skills and values of each leadership level so that organizations can plan development, coach leaders and measure results at every stage.
How many passages are there?
The model describes six passages, from managing self to managing others, and onward to leading the whole enterprise.
Does the model work for small companies?
The levels may be compressed, with one person covering two of them. The logic still applies: be clear about what each role asks of a person before promoting them.
Can leadership be developed remotely?
Yes. Coaching conversations about letting go of old tasks and taking on new ones work well on Zoom, though many leaders value some in-person time. Fit the format to each situation.
Building a pipeline is easier with a coaching partner who can help your leaders through each passage. Tell us where your bench feels thin, and we will help you plan the next step. Book a free consultation
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not professional advice. Sources:
- Wiley, The Leadership Pipeline (publisher page): https://www.wiley.com/en-us/The+Leadership+Pipeline:+How+to+Build+the+Leadership+Powered+Company-p-9780787958527
- Wiley, The Leadership Pipeline (book excerpt): https://catalogimages.wiley.com/images/db/pdf/9780470894569.excerpt.pdf
- Gallup, How Managers Impact Team Productivity: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/713033/managers-and-team-productivity.aspx