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Why New Leaders Struggle
What is the #1 reason new leaders struggle?
I asked the Leader’s Lens community that question, and the response: 425 out of 498 respondents said inadequate training.
Are new managers struggling because they aren't capable of leading—or because they were promoted into a fundamentally different job without enough preparation for it?
In this episode of Answer the Leader, I unpack what happens when a strong individual contributor becomes responsible for leading other people.
A promotion may give you the responsibility to lead, but it doesn't automatically give you every skill you need to lead well.
We’ll talk about why the skills that helped you earn the promotion may not be the skills you need next, why leadership development requires real-world reps, and why you can't always wait for your organization to create your development plan for you.
In This Episode You'll Learn:
- * Why new managers often feel unprepared for leadership
- * How moving from individual contributor to manager changes your work
- * Why being good at your job doesn't automatically prepare you to lead people
- * How feedback, delegation, conflict, coaching, and accountability require practice
- * Why leadership is learned through reps—not just books, courses, or training
- * How to take ownership of your leadership development when your organization doesn't provide enough support
- * One practical leadership rep you can start this week
The Leadership Rep
Ask yourself: What leadership situation keeps showing up where I don't feel fully equipped to handle it?
Don't try to improve everything at once.
Choose one leadership skill and intentionally start building reps.
---What's one part of leadership you wish somebody had taught you before you became a leader?
Share your answer in the comments.
Whether you're a new manager or you've been leading for years, your experience might help another leader who's trying to figure this out right now.
About Answer the Leader: Answer the Leader is a Leader’s Lens series built from the real questions, challenges, and poll responses shared by leaders in our community.
We look underneath the leadership challenge, shift how we see it, and identify one practical leadership rep you can take into your work.
Because every leader shapes culture.
The question is whether we do it intentionally or accidentally. The goal is to help you move from Reactive Manager → Culture Builder → Community Architect.
#LeadershipDevelopment #NewManagers #Management #Leadership #MiddleManagement #PeopleManagement #ManagerTraining #WorkplaceCulture
