As a leadership coach, I frequently hear stories about the challenges new managers face. Recently, my assistant shared a personal experience that perfectly illustrated what not to do when transitioning an employee into a leadership role. Her story offers valuable lessons for leadership coaching and manager training. Here’s what she had to say:
A Leadership Story Gone Wrong
“Early in my career, I almost quit my dream job. Everything was going well—until I got a new manager.
On her first day in the position, after a week of silent shadowing, she pulled me aside. She explained that she wanted to meet with me every morning for two weeks to review the training I was ‘missing.’ Every day, I sat through a 30-minute meeting where we discussed all the ways I had messed up the day before.
It was awful.
I was new to the workforce and afraid that leaving so soon would hurt my career, so I stuck it out. Over the following months, I watched as this manager alienated employees, drove team morale into the ground, and escalated conflicts to the point that an HR investigation required an outside firm and weeks of paid leave. Eventually, she was fired.
Here’s the surprising part: this manager wasn’t always like this. Before her promotion, she was a rockstar employee. Looking back, I believe management unknowingly set her up for failure. Here’s how:
1. Hiding Behind the New Hire
When she was promoted, upper management seemed relieved to have someone who could “handle” tough conversations. They immediately cast her as the bad cop, saddling her with hard conversations before she even adjusted to her new role. Starting out in this way made it much harder for her to establish positive rapport with the team later on.
2. Poor Onboarding for New Leaders
During her first month, instead of giving her space to learn and observe, she was expected to take charge and make waves. She didn’t have any time to build the important alliances that would let her smoothly push through new ideas, which made it hard to accomplish things later.
3. Lack of Coaching and Support
This was her first management role, yet she received no guidance on how to navigate conflicts or effectively communicate. Her natural directness, which could have been a strength, came across as abrasive without proper coaching. Leadership training could have helped her channel her strengths into building trust and collaboration.
4. Misidentifying a Rockstar as a Superstar
In Radical Candor, Kim Scott explains the difference between a rockstar and a superstar. A superstar is on a rapid upward trajectory, while a rockstar excels in their current role. Superstars should get promoted onto the next thing as soon as they’re ready, while rockstars may need special positions created for them that acknowledge their skill and expertise while also not promoting them into roles that have nothing to do with their skills- like taking your best coder and making them manage people all day. My manager was a rockstar—phenomenal at her previous job, but not so hot at managing people. Instead of recognizing this and rewarding her for what she was good at and keeping her there, leadership promoted her into management, where she floundered.
Learn more: behavioral assessments help you hire the right person for the right role
The Cost of a Leadership Misstep
This situation became a lose-lose-lose:
- For the team: Morale plummeted due to confrontational leadership and public call-outs.
- For the organization: The company incurred significant costs for HR investigations, paid leave, and rehiring.
- For the manager: She lost her job, was unable to secure a positive reference, and struggled to find new employment for months.
How Leadership Coaching Can Help Your Team, Organization, and Leaders
This story underscores why I’m passionate about leadership coaching and manager training. Promoting from within can be an excellent strategy—if it’s done right. Without proper support, even the most talented employees can struggle in leadership roles, leading to poor outcomes for everyone involved.
If your organization is promoting new leaders or planning for succession, I can help. Leadership coaching equips emerging managers with the skills they need to thrive while taking some of the pressure off you as an executive. After leadership coaching with me, I want your leaders to be so good that they actively free up your time and expand your capabilities- not just that they don’t hinder you.
If you can relate to this story or you want to be sure this doesn’t happen to you, let’s discuss how leadership coaching and manager training can help your team succeed. Send me an email at support@syntrakinternational.com and we’ll set up a time to talk.