Inside Investment Banking’s Biggest Leadership Complaints

At the Investment Banking Leaders Club, we believe that great leadership creates great bankers — and poor leadership drives them out. So we went deep.

Our team combed through hundreds of anonymous Reddit posts and industry discussions to uncover what investment bankers are really saying about their leadership — unfiltered, unpolished, and painfully honest.

The goal? To shine a light on the common frustrations bankers have with their leaders… so we can start building something better.

The Top 8 Leadership Pain Points in Investment Banking

Here’s what the IB community is saying:

1. Toxic Culture and Behaviour

Bankers say toxic leadership isn’t just tolerated — it’s rewarded.

“You won’t get fired for being an a**hole, especially if you deliver!”

2. Poor Management and Inadequate People Skills

Too many MDs and VPs lack emotional intelligence and basic people skills.

“People will remember how you made them feel — not how late you stayed.”

3. Lack of Empathy and Understanding for Staff

Some leaders forget that not everyone is in IB for the money — or willing to sacrifice everything.

“I worked 100+ hours on a deal and got…’” Small acknowledgements can go a long way — but too often, leaders forget this basic human need.

4. Unrealistic Expectations & Perfectionism

Every deck must be perfect — but at what cost?

“That triple-checking culture? It makes us miss the forest for the trees.”

5. Micromanagement

Too much time is spent correcting tiny errors instead of building capabilities.

“Ask yourself: are these mistakes really critical — or just bothering your OCD banker brain?”

6. Lack of Support for Career Growth

Some juniors feel abandoned when it comes to learning, mentorship, and promotion paths. Vice Presidents aren’t receiving the necessary coaching to make the transition from execution to origination.

“Leadership should be about enabling those around you to succeed.”

7. Communication and Transparency Gaps

Missed deadlines and unclear priorities frustrate everyone.

“There’s your deadline — and then there’s the client’s deadline. Know the difference.”

8. Turnover and Talent Gaps

Understaffed teams = pressure overload.

“Leadership struggles to provide enough bodies for the workload”.

A Note on Selection Bias

It’s worth noting that anonymous forums often attract the most frustrated voices. As one commenter put it:

“Sometimes, the people bashing IB leadership are just the ones who couldn’t hack it.”

But that doesn’t mean these insights should be dismissed. Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire — and these reflections point to real opportunities for improvement.

Why This Matters

Leadership defines the culture, productivity, and sustainability of your team.

These quotes aren’t just complaints — they’re insights. And we believe that by understanding the real-world frustrations of bankers, we can help leaders get better, teams become stronger, and careers last longer.

Next Week’s Newsletter: The Fix

In next week’s edition we’ll share practical and proven strategies leaders can use to inspire trust, grow their teams, and lead in a way that elevates — not exhausts — the people around them. Stay tuned!