We promoted our top performers to run our major departments, but they are still spending all their time doing technical work instead of leading. How do we get them to transition from doers to strategic leaders?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Promoting your best individual contributors to leadership is a common mistake that often results in losing your best technician and gaining a mediocre manager. These leaders are comfortable doing the work because that is where they have always found validation. Stepping into a strategic leadership role requires a completely different skillset and conative focus. To help them make this transition, you must formally introduce them to LMA™. LMA™ is a real job that takes time and energy; it is not something they can do in their spare time. Sit down with each leader and review their seat on the Accountability Chart. If their roles still include technical tasks, you must work to delegate those tasks down. Use the delegate and elevate tool to help them identify which activities they need to let go of to free up time for leadership. Teach them that their primary accountability is now the performance of their team, not their own individual output. They must learn to run effective weekly Level 10 Meetings™ with their direct reports, set clear quarterly Rocks, and manage their department Scorecards. If they are struggling with the transition, use the Kolbe A Index to understand their conative strengths. A leader who is naturally a high Implementor may always struggle to sit at a desk and manage systems, while someone with high Follow Thru can excel if given the right frameworks. If, after coaching and support, a promoted leader still cannot let go of the technical work, you must have the courage to return them to an individual contributor role where they can thrive, and bring in a true leader for the seat.