At their highest performing (the strongest) or longest serving (the longest) individual contributors.
How does that play out? Generally, not so well.
The newly promoted individual discovers that the honeymoon is very short. Soon they find themselves floundering in the deep end. An Accidental Leader without the skills and strategies they need to survive.
The organisation gains someone used to DOING, not LEADING. Someone who is excellent at the task, who keeps the status quo, controls the workflow – but isn’t equipped to lead others to exceptional performance.
Too often, the organisation swaps an exceptional individual contributor for an average and overwhelmed manager.
To produce consistent long-term results, new managers need to the skills, knowledge and strategies to lead with Authenticity.
