Technical skills, experience, loyalty, and reliability are often the go-to criteria for promotions. While these criteria are undoubtedly valuable, they are not necessarily good indicators of leadership potential. As the Peter Principle suggests, promoting employees based solely on their current performance does not account for their ability to excel in a new role.  

A successful multinational company recently faced significant turmoil after promoting several people into new leadership positions. Promotions were based on technical skills, experience, loyalty, and reliability alone. No effort was made to assess the candidates’ problem-solving abilities, emotional intelligence, or leadership capabilities. These promotions resulted in widespread dissatisfaction and quickly led to increased turnover and decreased productivity.

When the wrong person is promoted to a leadership position, it significantly impacts the team’s ability to work together to accomplish the organization’s goals. Equally important, it leads a once-excellent employee to question their capabilities and value.   

When promoting from within the organization, you must consider criteria beyond technical skills, experience, loyalty, and reliability. Once you have promoted someone into a leadership position, you must provide them with the support they need to ensure they can effectively lead their team and propel the organization forward. A hastily made or poor promotion decision can have long-term detrimental effects on the individual, team, and organization. 

Three questions to determine leadership potential

Not every great employee makes a great leader. To determine whether your candidate for promotion has leadership potential, ask yourself the following: 

Is the candidate respected by their colleagues? An individual respected by the people they will lead and their peers on the leadership team can facilitate a smoother transition because of existing relationships and a more natural willingness among colleagues to accept changes. They don’t have to be likable, but they must be respected, collaborative, and willing to learn. Otherwise, their peers might resist working with them and their team might resent being supervised by someone they feel is not qualified for the position. Over time, unaddressed resistance can turn into resentment, which results in ineffective working relationships and unproductive team dynamics. 

Is the candidate teachable? Leaders must be open to continuous learning and professional growth. Does the candidate have a growth mindset? Are they open to feedback? If they are closed off to feedback or differing opinions, that will become a barrier to their success and that of the team. A successful leader needs to show up with a desire to learn, do better, and be better. By modeling that open-minded philosophy, a new leader can expect greater results from their team members.

Is the candidate a strong communicator? Promoting someone with good interpersonal skills who can discuss organizational changes and address conflicts and stressors effectively is crucial. Effective communication can defuse tension, instill confidence, and demonstrate strength in their new role. Knowing how to address each member of the team and speak to their unique skill set and learning style allows for connections to build and trust to grow so that each person feels considered because their contribution is valued. Strong communication skills rely on the person having a high degree of emotional intelligence and personal self-awareness. Those individuals should be capable leaders during times of crisis and uncertainty. All of these factors need to be taken into consideration.    

Helping the new leader start on the right foot

Once you have promoted a new leader, it is your role to guide them successfully through the beginning stages of the transition. How they address their new position and the changes within the organization is critical to their starting on the right foot.

For example, since all transitions bring about a certain degree of change, keep in mind that those changes create stress and unanswered questions for team members, who often have less knowledge about the details. Encouraging the new leader to directly address and acknowledge the transition with the team will go a long way.

Your role is to remind the new leader to state the obvious: They are now the team leader, they know the team members probably have some questions, and they look forward to working together. Team members may be worried about how the changes will affect them personally or professionally, which can feel burdensome, so being upfront with them will be welcomed. This proactive interaction allows team members to see their new leader as open to having these kinds of important discussions, not someone who will avoid challenging topics or situations.

Here is an example of stating the obvious while being succinct and direct but encouraging:

This is a stressful time for our team and the organization. I’m glad to speak with each of you one-to-one if you want, and now I can also answer any questions. I promise to be as upfront as I can. We are in this together. I look forward to working together and learning more about each of you.

By encouraging the newly promoted leader to address the situation in this manner, you are encouraging them to demonstrate their interest in a smooth transition. Direct statements are reassuring and can create a true sense of unity. You cannot overstate this aspect of their new role because that connection point and reassurance have the power to quickly defuse tension and show the team that the new leader is confident and was the right choice. It also helps others see that the promotion was in the best interest of the team and organization. 

Promoting the right person requires you to look beyond technical skills and experience. By considering qualities like respect, teachability, and communication skills, you can make more well-rounded and informed decisions around promotion — decisions that benefit the individual and the organization and have a lasting impact. Considering these factors ensures that the people you promote into leadership positions are well-equipped to handle their role in fostering a positive and productive work environment. To improve communication and gain lasting communication skills for your leadership team or entire organization, consider The Communication Protocol, my online program designed for busy companies. 

Your support and guidance as they step into their new role are also critical to their long-term success. By taking these actions, you can avoid the pitfalls of the Peter Principle and gain long-term success and stability for your organization. 

©Copyright 2022 Debra Roberts, LCSW All rights reserved. No portion of this material may be reproduced without permission from the publisher.

 A version of this article was initially published on Inc.com as: Setting Your New Leaders Up for Success