Getting promoted is often seen as the ultimate reward for a high-performing employee. But what happens when an exceptional individual contributor struggles in a leadership role?
Many organizations fall into the trap of assuming that great performance equals great leadership, only to find their top performers struggling as new managers.
Why does this happen? Let’s break it down.
The Skillset Shift: From Doing to Leading
Take Sarah, a high-performing sales executive. She consistently exceeded targets, had in-depth product knowledge, and could close deals effortlessly. When she was promoted to Sales Manager, everyone assumed she’d naturally lead the team to success.
The reality?
Sarah struggled. She was used to handling clients directly but now had to coach her team, resolve conflicts, and strategize long-term goals. Her past skills didn’t automatically translate into leadership success.
Lesson: Leadership requires a different skill set—communication, delegation, and people management, not just expertise in a specific role.
The “I Can Do It Better” Syndrome
Then there’s Lee, a software engineer known for writing flawless code. His leadership approach? “Let me do it myself.” He couldn’t resist micromanaging his team, correcting their work instead of mentoring them, and focusing on technical tasks instead of leadership responsibilities.
The result?
His team felt demotivated and lacked ownership of their work. Productivity declined, and Mark was constantly overwhelmed.
Lesson: Effective managers empower their teams instead of trying to do everything themselves.
The Emotional Intelligence Gap
Consider Amir, a finance expert with an analytical mind. Numbers made sense to him—people, not so much. As a manager, he struggled with conflict resolution, team motivation, and emotional intelligence.
Most employees are promoted to manager positions by being great executives, and handling people is a puzzle for them, hence ignoring the need to lean into working with people. Software, code, data, and even machines are much preferred, as opposed to working with people. Addressing the emotional intelligence gap prepares leaders to manage, motivate, and lead people.
The impact?
His team felt unheard, disengaged, and uninspired. High turnover followed, and performance suffered.
Lesson: Leadership is not just about intellect; it’s about emotional intelligence—understanding and managing people effectively.
So, What’s the Solution?
Organizations must invest in leadership development, not just promotions based on past performance. The transition from individual contributor to leader requires:
Coaching to build leadership confidence
- Emotional Intelligence Training to manage teams effectively
- Strategic Thinking to shift from tactical execution to big-picture leadership
This is exactly what we address in the Coach Foundation Program (CFP).
📌 If you or your team members are stepping into leadership roles, don’t leave it to trial and error. Equip yourself with the right leadership skills through the Coach Foundation Program (CFP).
Seats are limited—sign up today!
