More than four in every five managers in the UK have not had any proper leadership or management training, according to a study from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI).

Taking Responsibility -Why UK PLC Needs Better Managers  reveals that 82% of people who enter management positions are classed as “accidental managers”, promoted because they are popular, good at their job, or happen to be available to take charge.

Kelly Hill, chief executive of The Early Years Company, said: “This gap in leadership knowledge is the reason I founded The Early Years Company. Many great early years practitioners are promoted into management positions but without the support, training and guidance on how to manage teams of people and ultimately run a business. With the right CPD and training plans in place, experienced early years practitioner can thrive in leadership positions, however without it, they can find the role utterly overwhelming.”

The research found a consistent link between strong, highly trained managers and more effective organisations. A higher proportion of trained managers said that they ask their team members for feedback, are more comfortable with managing big changes, and employ emerging technology to improve efficiency.

A large majority (72%) of those workers who rated their manager as effective felt valued and appreciated. This figure dropped to just 15% when the manager was rated as ineffective.

Ann Francke, Chartered Management Institute chief executive, said: “On a very practical level, skilled managers should be seen as a reputational insurance policy – they will help prevent toxic behaviours, they will call out wrongdoing and they will get the best out of their teams.”