Nine Challenges that Recently-Promoted Leaders Face

Have you recently been promoted? If so, congratulations! Executive coaching is often offered to leaders like you. It is seen as a reward for great performance and an investment in you and the organization’s future, with promising returns.

Often referred to as ‘Transition Coaching,’ executive coaching for recently-promoted leaders addresses the specific hurdles that come with higher responsibilities. I’ve worked with many of these leaders over the years (probably several hundred), and some themes just keep popping up. Below you will find my list of nine key challenges recently-promoted leaders face. Which one(s) might you relate to?

1. Expertise Gap: “I’ve been put in charge of an area in which I am not an expert. Those I lead know much more than I do. How can I manage situations when my direct reports have more answers that I do?”
2. Learning Curve: “I’ve been put in charge of an area that is new to me. How do I figure out how much I need to learn, and where to draw the line?”
3. Increased Scope: “I’ve been given a huge increase in scope. How can I work differently to accommodate this?”
4. Self-Doubt: “They’ve promoted me because they believe I can do this. But, can I?”
5. Leadership Integration: “I am now a member of the Leadership Team. How can I fully step into my role and be accepted by the others on the Team?”
6. Stakeholder Management: “In my new role, I need to turn much of my focus toward stakeholder management – internally with the most senior levels, as well as with external parties. How can I make this happen?”
7. Letting Go: “I’ve been promoted within my area of expertise. How can I let go of the hands-on details I know so well and carve out time to be strategic?”
8. Difficult Conversations: “I’ve been put in charge of an area where we will need to let a number of people go. How can I conduct these tough conversations and be true to my values?”
9. Public Speaking: “I’ve taken on a role that will require me to do an increasing amount of public speaking to large audiences. What key guidelines do I need to keep in mind?”

These are big questions that merit thoughtful reflection. Working with an executive coach offers the space and time to examine your own key challenges; the precursor to choosing and implementing meaningful behaviors and actions. I’ve seen many recently-promoted leaders streamline their transition to the new role because of having thoughtful, productive conversations with a skilled executive coach.

Supporting recently-promoted leaders to surmount their challenges is a strategically impactful way to use coaching for organizational good. Now isn’t this the return on investment that you, your teams, and your organization are seeking?