Are You Setting Your First Time Managers Up for Success—Or Failure?

Promoting someone into leadership for the first time is a big step—for them and for your organisation. But here’s the problem: many first time managers struggle, not because they lack talent or ambition, but because they weren’t given the right tools to succeed.

We see it time and time again—organisations investing in leadership development, yet still ending up with overwhelmed managers, disengaged teams, and high turnover. Why? Because they’re making critical mistakes when it comes to developing their emerging leaders.

If you want your new managers to thrive instead of just survive, it’s worth asking: "Are we getting leadership development right?"

The 3 Biggest Mistakes Organisations Make With First Time Managers

 🚩 1. Promoting Without Preparation

Too often, top performers are promoted into leadership roles because they excel at their current job. But technical expertise alone doesn’t translate to effective leadership.

Without proper preparation, first time managers often:

🔹 Struggle to set boundaries and hold people accountable
🔹 Avoid difficult conversations, leading to unresolved team issues
🔹 Feel overwhelmed and uncertain about their new responsibilities

Instead of assuming they’ll “figure it out,” organisations need to equip them before they step into leadership. A little preparation can go a long way in ensuring they start strong.

🚩 2. Prioritising Short-Term Performance Over Long-Term Leadership

Many leadership programs focus on quick fixes—how to delegate, how to manage workload, how to run meetings. While these are useful, they don’t create well-rounded leaders who can inspire and engage their teams.

When leadership development is too focused on immediate performance, new managers:

⚠️ Get caught up in tasks and lose sight of team development
⚠️ Focus on hitting short-term KPIs instead of driving long-term success
⚠️ Struggle to lead with confidence and clarity

Great leadership isn’t just about managing the now—it’s about shaping the future. If you want your first time managers to succeed, they need to learn how to develop their teams, foster trust, and think strategically.

🚩 3. Taking a One-Size-Fits-All Approach

Not all first time managers are the same. Neither are all organisations. Yet many leadership programs treat them as if they are.

Generic training often fails because:

❌ It doesn’t address the real challenges managers face in your workplace
❌ It lacks practical, real-world application
❌ There’s little to no follow-up support to reinforce learning

Leadership isn’t something you master in a single session. It requires ongoing development, tailored to both the individual and the organisation’s needs.

What Can You Do Differently?

If you want to avoid these mistakes, start by asking:

✅ Are we helping new managers develop leadership skills beyond just management tasks?
✅ Does our program provide practical, real-world applications that can be used immediately?
✅ Is there ongoing support to help reinforce learning and growth?

Developing first time managers isn’t just about making them successful today—it’s about ensuring they become strong, capable leaders for years to come.

By taking a thoughtful, structured approach, organisations can build a leadership pipeline that not only improves team performance but strengthens culture and retention.

If you’re thinking about how to better support your new and emerging leaders, what’s one change you could make today that would set them up for long-term success?