The Hidden Cost of Promoting People Without Preparing Them to Lead

We often promote people because they’re good at what they do.

They’re experienced, committed, reliable and know their jobs inside out.

But being good at your job doesn’t automatically make you a good manager.

Suddenly, you’re responsible for managing people, dealing with conflict, having difficult conversations, supporting staff through personal challenges and making decisions that affect other people’s working lives.

And quite often, you’re expected to just get on with it.

When things don’t go well, we’re quick to question the manager’s ability. But how often do we stop and ask whether we actually prepared them for the role?

And what about the senior leaders who promoted them?

I think this is something we don’t talk about enough.

Recognising someone’s potential is important, but what happens afterwards matters just as much.

We can send people on management courses, give them qualifications and teach them different approaches to leadership. All of that is important, but it doesn’t replace having someone who takes the time to guide you.

Someone who shares their experience, challenges your thinking, helps you work through difficult situations and gives you the confidence to make decisions. Someone who allows you to get things wrong sometimes, without making you feel you’ve failed.

That’s how people grow.

I’ve always believed that part of being a good leader is helping others become better leaders. Not simply handing over responsibilities, but being there to guide them as they find their feet.

Leadership isn’t just about what we achieve ourselves. It’s also about the people we help develop along the way.

Of course, managers have a responsibility for their own development too. But we can’t expect people to lead well if we’re not willing to invest in them.

And maybe when a manager is struggling, rather than immediately questioning whether they’re right for the role, we should also be asking what support they’ve had along the way.

Because promoting someone shouldn’t be the end of their development. It should be the beginning of a different kind of learning.

The way we lead and support our managers today will influence how they lead their own teams tomorrow.

And that is so important, because the impact goes far beyond one individual. It affects staff, teams and ultimately the culture of an organisation.

At Nova & Root, this is something we care deeply about.

Our approach combines practical HR knowledge with trauma-informed principles, recognising that effective leadership is as much about understanding people as it is about managing processes.

Because investing in your managers isn’t just investing in their development. It’s investing in everyone they lead.