My weekly emails are for you if you want a transformational SHOT OF POSITIVITY that makes you think, gets you laughing, and sparks a positive change. Start each week inspired.
When promotions become bear traps
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Promoting a star performer should feel like a win, but too often, it quietly unravels a team. Marcus is an absolute powerhouse. He solves complex system outages before anyone else can pinpoint the glitch. So promoting him to Team Lead seems like the natural reward.
Two weeks later, the project Marcus' group is leading hits a major bump. Marcus defaults back to his technical know-how. He yanks back the work and doubles down on checking every minor detail, sometimes working 14-hour days.
Meanwhile, his team's work grinds to a halt as they wait for his sign-off on the smallest decisions.
Feeling micromanaged, the team sours and their discretionary effort drops to zero.
Marcus steps deeper and deeper into the technical work, feeling disappointed in his team and overwhelmed by the demands of the job.
Reader, sound familiar? It sure does to me because I worked for a Marcus, and it was miserable. Marcus wasn’t failing because he lacked talent—he was failing because domain expertise and leadership capability are two entirely different skill sets. One he actively developed, the other he was expected to learn by osmosis. It’s the classic “accidental manager” trap. When companies promote brilliant individual contributors without foundational leadership systems, they end up leaking up to 41% of leadership capacity through operational friction, defensive communication, and stalled execution. You end up paying full-time executive salaries for part-time, frantic execution, while the manager drives team morale into the ground. In today’s fast-moving environment, management training isn’t just a nice perk—it’s a critical strategy for margin recovery. Data shows that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their growth. Keeping your top people means giving your new managers the tactical communication frameworks, root-cause problem-solving skills, and active support network they need to build self-directed, accountable teams. I'm excited to share that I've spent the past six months developing comprehensive training to bridge this gap in organizations of every size. Are You One of the Forward-Thinking Few? I am actively seeking three forward-thinking companies—organizations that recognize leadership development isn’t a line-item expense, but a direct margin recovery strategy. If you understand that protecting your bottom line starts with equipping your emerging managers to lead self-directed, high-performing teams, let’s talk. P.S. You can check out some of my most recent participant reviews here. |
Rita Ernst, Positivity Influencer
My weekly emails are for you if you want a transformational SHOT OF POSITIVITY that makes you think, gets you laughing, and sparks a positive change. Start each week inspired.
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