Steps to support team members as they become team leaders

Anyone who’s worked in management for a long time will have seen first-hand the good and the bad when promoting a top employee into a management position they’re not yet ready for. Some will thrive as the new challenge pushes them to be even better, while others will stumble without the right leadership skills.

So give them a helping hand to elevate your leading candidates from being a standout team member to an excellent leader.

Why do great workers stumble as managers?

When you have an experienced team leader surrounded by a core unit of workers, you really do look at them as a whole. But when that team leader is promoted or vacates the role, suddenly there’s a new dynamic. And it begs the question: who leads next?

Do you look to the most experienced team member, the “best” employee, the most passionate one or an external candidate? There’s no right or wrong answer, although many would go for a standout candidate with a mixture of experience and proven performance. 

In this case, you have a high performer who’s likely received plenty of praise and support throughout their career. There’s an understanding they fit perfectly within the organisation and they create good outcomes for everyone around them. So if they do seem like such a good candidate, why could they stumble as a manager?

• No formal training or experience as a manager or project leader
• An inability to take responsibility for their actions, or the actions of others
• Little enjoyment of managerial/administrative tasks, e.g. meetings, report writing, emailing
• Poor relationship management skills that may lead to friction within the team
• A self-first approach to work, rather than a team-first approach
• High proficiency in role-specific skills, not team management or leadership skills
• Apprehension towards additional workplace pressures and stress factors in a leadership position
• Loss of motivation for a role they didn’t initially sign up for

How can you better prepare someone for leadership?

Laying the foundations early for your future leaders is essential. Without effective support prior to being promoted, you’ll often find it difficult to facilitate leadership development while someone’s learning the ropes in a new role. 

Identify your emerging leaders early on. You want to look at a diverse group of workers, too, not just the oldest, the most experienced or the most confident. The best way to do this is by talking to staff and asking whether they have leadership aspirations. If they do, take note and devise the best ways to support them. If they’re unsure, give them time and offer opportunities for future development. Just don’t ignore them; that uncertain worker who’s still finding their feet might have all the potential to manage a team, they just don’t know it yet.

Establish a leadership development program, whether it’s providing resources internally or supporting staff to undertake courses elsewhere. This way you do have a support system in place to help your emerging leaders learn, develop and grow. You can closely work together to prepare them for future opportunities, and once they’re in the role, there’s still a framework to provide ongoing support.

Explain exactly what’s expected when moving into a leadership role. Okay, so you’ve identified a team member for promotion. How well do they know the role? You have to explain it clearly and provide all relevant information and resources. Outline the emotional challenges, too, as there will be additional pressure and responsibility. Offer mental health and well-being support so they’re not only armed with knowledge but confidence too.

Be flexible. Remember, your current leader doesn’t have to be a carbon copy of the previous one. You should be flexible enough to hold different expectations, particularly in the early stages. They won’t have the same inside experience, so all the little nuances and unspoken responsibilities will be missing. That comes with time. Instead, just be sure to nurture your emerging leaders as they make the role their own. This will give them confidence despite any early hurdles, leaving you with a young leader ready to take on the world!