Why Top Performers Struggle as Managers, According to Leanne Bridges

In a recent LinkedIn post, Leanne Bridges delves into a common challenge faced by many organizations: the difficulty experienced by top individual performers when transitioning into management roles. Bridges highlights that promoting a high-achieving employee doesn’t automatically equip them with the skills needed to lead a team effectively, often leading to unintended negative consequences.

Bridges points out the paradox of promoting a trusted, hard-working employee who understands the business and has good client relationships. The expectation is that this individual will step into a leadership role and elevate their team. However, as Bridges observes:

“You promoted your best person. Now you’re managing them as much as everyone else.”

This situation, according to Bridges, arises because the newly promoted manager often defaults to the tasks they excel at, rather than developing the crucial skills of delegation and team development. The post details how these managers may end up doing the work themselves, avoiding difficult conversations with underperforming team members, and seeking decisions from their own superiors.

The Pitfalls of Delegating by Default

Leanne Bridges argues that a key reason for this struggle is the team’s perception that the manager will ultimately handle any critical issues. This often stems from well-intentioned but ineffective advice given to the new manager.

“You’ve told them to delegate more. To step back. To let the team figure things out. It hasn’t worked,” Bridges writes, emphasizing that simply instructing someone to manage differently is insufficient without clear guidance on what that looks like in practice.

Bridges explains that the core issue isn’t a lack of willingness but a lack of knowledge. The new manager is comfortable and proficient in their old role, and attempting new management tasks that don’t go well can be discouraging.

The Comfort of Competence

According to Bridges, this leads to a cycle of avoidance. When management tasks prove difficult or yield poor results, the manager retreats to the tasks they know they can perform well. This reinforces their existing skill set while hindering the development of their leadership capabilities.

“So they default to what they’re good at. And every time they try the management bit and it doesn’t go well, it worries them.”

The post further elaborates that this avoidance becomes a learned behavior. Instead of learning to manage effectively through practice, the manager learns to circumvent management responsibilities. Time, in this context, doesn’t teach management skills; it reinforces avoidance.

The Need for Structured Development

Leanne Bridges asserts that these individuals will not naturally figure out how to manage effectively on their own. The process requires more than just experience; it demands structured support and training.

“They won’t figure this out on their own. Because time isn’t teaching them to manage. It’s teaching them to avoid it.”

Bridges’s analysis underscores the critical need for organizations to provide comprehensive training and ongoing support for employees transitioning into management. This includes defining what effective management looks like, coaching on delegation and difficult conversations, and creating a safe environment for new managers to practice and learn without the immediate pressure of perfection.