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Abstract: Effective preparation and support of first-time leaders is critical for individual and organizational success yet often lacking in many companies. This article outlines evidence-based strategies for equipping emerging supervisors and managers drawn from consulting experience and academic literature. Recommendations are provided for frontloading support through pre-promotion exposure, structured onboarding and action learning. Sustainable practices include leadership circles, rotational coaching and sequenced skill-building. The article advocates for visible executive buy-in and advocacy to validate new leader development as strategic. Practical examples demonstrate applications across industries. When implemented systematically with committed resources, the outlined approaches establish an environment empowering novice leaders from day one to continuously grow capabilities and maximize performance in their roles.
As a long-time advisor to organizations undergoing leadership transitions, one of the most critical challenges I've witnessed over the years is the lack of preparation companies provide for individuals taking on leadership roles for the first time. It's such a difficult adjustment to go from being an individual contributor to overseeing others, yet new managers are often thrown into deep waters without the proper swimming lessons.
Today we will explore practical strategies distilled from my consulting practice and academic literature on how organizations can better set up their first-time leaders for success from the very start. With the right onboarding, coaching and support systems in place, even inexperienced emerging leaders can confidently hit the ground running.
The Reality of Stepping Into Leadership
Like many, when I first received a promotion to a supervisory position years ago, I was both excited and overwhelmed. Going from responsible for my work to responsible for others' work - and their wellbeing - was a monumental change. Despite my technical qualifications, I found myself struggling with new challenges like conflict management, navigating organizational politics, holding direct reports accountable and more. I wasn't alone in this experience. Research shows the transition from individual contributor to people manager poses significant adjustment difficulties, with new supervisors often feeling underprepared and ill-equipped for their expanded responsibilities (Alimo-Metcalfe & Lawler, 2001; Kane & Malony, 2011).
Frontloading Support for Emerging Leaders
Given the realities of stepping into a leadership role for the first time, organizations must take a proactive, frontloaded approach to set new managers up for success early on. Some promising practices include:
Pre-Promotion Preparation: Offer leadership simulation trainings, shadowing opportunities or readings in advance to expose candidates to their anticipated challenges (Douglas & McCauley, 1999).
Structured Onboarding: Provide new managers with structured onboarding programs featuring mentoring, resources and role-specific training addressing dilemmas common in initial months (Kay & Shelton, 2000).
Action Learning: Assign an action learning project tapping their new skills while receiving coaching support to facilitate application of knowledge (Marquardt, 1999).
Buddy Systems: Pair novice supervisors with seasoned mentors to consult, shadow and debrief throughout early months on the job (Kay & Shelton, 2000).
Graduated Responsibility: Ease new leaders into all responsibilities gradually versus assigning an overloaded plate from day one (Elder & Kwon, 2013).
These frontloaded strategies ease emerging leaders' transitions through exposure, experience and applied learning to build confidence from the outset. Similar to extensive pilot training programs, this upfront emphasis pays dividends long-term.
Ongoing Support Structures for Emerging Leaders
In addition to kickstarting support, lasting infrastructure is needed to facilitate continuous growth over initial years. Promising ongoing structures include:
Leadership Circles: Peer support groups for new managers spanning industries or levels foster community, shared insights and problem-solving (Marquardt, 1999).
Rotational Coaching: Regular coaching scheduled periodically versus annually helps emerging leaders gain feedback and sustains momentum in their development (Douglas & McCauley, 1999).
Skill-Building Curriculum: Sequenced program of leadership workshops and seminars based on evolving challenges provides learning throughout formative years (Dragoni et al., 2014).
Developmental Stretch Assignments: Projects with increasing responsibility or cross-unit collaboration offer ongoing learning and networking opportunities (Dragoni et al., 2014).
These sustainable structures keep new managers learning and supported during their incubation period, better equipping them for future upward progressions into more senior roles.
Executive Advocacy and Buy-In
While new leader development programs directly impact emerging talent, executive advocacy and involvement also plays a crucial role. Specifically:
Visible CEO/CHRO sponsorship demonstrates the value placed on leadership cultivation (Alimo-Metcalfe & Alban-Metcalfe, 2005).
Budget allocation for rotational coach stipends and skill-building initiatives signals commitment to investing in future leaders (Kay & Shelton, 2000).
Succession planning involving groomed emerging leaders signals their career trajectories are being considered (Kesper, 2000).
With executive promotion of programs and resourcing their reinforcement across levels, new supervisor support transforms from a 'nice to have' to a strategic growth imperative. Combined with established structures, this cultivates an environment empowering novice leaders to excel fully in their roles.
Applying Support Strategies in Action
Let me share a few real examples from my advisory work:
A utility company launched pre-promotion shadowing so individual contributors could observe supervisory responsibilities. This prepared new leaders for challenges frequently reported as surprises.
A manufacturing firm created buddy pairings between new plant managers and experienced operations leads. Set check-ins helped surfacing concerns before escalating issues.
In higher education, sequenced leadership workshops covered relationship building, difficult conversations and interpersonal skill development over 3 years.
At a financial institution, rotational assignments allowed emerging leaders to gain exposure to other business units. This broadened perspectives and understanding of interconnected functions.
With such frontloaded investments and longer-term structures establishing new leaders for success, organizations gain a sustained competitive edge by fully developing emerging managerial talent from within.
Conclusion
Preparing new managers requires an intentional shift beyond traditional onboarding or occasional workshops alone. By combining robust frontloading efforts with ongoing support systems championed by executives, organizations establish an ecosystem empowering emerging leaders to hit the ground running and continuously grow over formative years. Strategies need not be resource-intensive when leverage internal experts through buddy pairings and mentoring. By prioritizing coaching, exposure and applied learning from day one, companies set the course for retaining promising talent while also developing future executives fully equipped to drive innovation and organizational performance. When approached systematically, supporting new leaders proves a high-return initiative for any enterprise.
References
Alimo-Metcalfe, B., & Alban-Metcalfe, J. (2005). Leadership: Time for a new direction? Leadership, 1(1), 51-71. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715005049349
Alimo-Metcalfe, B., & Lawler, J. (2001). Leadership development in UK companies at the beginning of the twenty-first century: Lessons for the NHS? Journal of Management in Medicine, 15(5), 387–404. https://doi.org/10.1108/13616380110407413
Douglas, C. A., & McCauley, C. D. (1999). Formal developmental relationships: A survey of organizational practices. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 10(3), 203–245. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.3920100303
Dragoni, L., Oh, I.-S., Vankatwyk, P., & Tesluk, P. E. (2014). Developing executive leaders: The relative contribution of cognitive ability, personality, and the accumulation of work experience in predicting strategic thinking competency. Personnel Psychology, 68(4), 829–864. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12097
Elder, A., & Kwon, Y. (2013). New Leader Assimilation: Understanding Managerial Identity Development. Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation, 46(4), 455–462. https://doi.org/10.3233/wor-131672
Kane, M. T., & Maloney, M. J. (2011). General and specific abilities in the transition to supervisory roles. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(3), 535–545. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021871
Kay, R., & Shelton, M. (2000). Mentoring: A major new initiative. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 21(2), 63–68. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730010318359
Kesner, I. F. (2000). Learning for leadership: Executive education in an age of discontinuity. Human Resource Management, 39(3‐4), 265-273. https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-050X(200023/24)39:3/4<265::AID-HRM9>3.0.CO;2-N
Marquardt, M. J. (1999). Action learning: Lessons from the bottom line. Organizational Dynamics, 28(2), 13–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0090-2616(00)80005-2
Additional Reading
Westover, J. H. (2024). Optimizing Organizations: Reinvention through People, Adapted Mindsets, and the Dynamics of Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.3
Westover, J. H. (2024). Reinventing Leadership: People-Centered Strategies for Empowering Organizational Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.4
Westover, J. H. (2024). Cultivating Engagement: Mastering Inclusive Leadership, Culture Change, and Data-Informed Decision Making. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.5
Westover, J. H. (2024). Energizing Innovation: Inspiring Peak Performance through Talent, Culture, and Growth. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.6
Westover, J. H. (2024). Championing Performance: Aligning Organizational and Employee Trust, Purpose, and Well-Being. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.7
Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Workforce Evolution: Strategies for Adapting to Changing Human Capital Needs. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.8
Westover, J. H. (2024). Navigating Change: Keys to Organizational Agility, Innovation, and Impact. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.11
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Equipping Your Emerging Leaders: Strategies for Preparing New Managers and Supervisors. Human Capital Leadership Review, 14(2). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.14.2.6
