Why becoming a leader requires more than experience, expertise, and technical skill.
You have worked hard. You have put in the late nights, met the deadlines, and consistently delivered results. At last, all your efforts have been rewarded. You have secured the promotion you deserved.
But suddenly, you find yourself in a leadership position where technical expertise is no longer the primary requirement of your role. I'm sure you have heard the expression, "What got you here won't get you there."
Looking back on my own corporate career, I learned that leadership isn't a promotion; it's a transformation. The managers who make the transition successfully are not necessarily the smartest, the most technical, or even the most experienced. They are the ones willing to let go of what made them successful in the past and embrace a broader responsibility: creating clarity, developing people, and shaping the conditions for collective success.
In my coaching work, this is one of the most common challenges I see when individuals make the transition from manager to leader. It is rarely due to a lack of capability. More often, leadership requires them to think differently about their role, their impact, and their responsibility.
I recently read an article by Michael D. Watkins in which he describes the "seven seismic shifts" that managers must make as they move into enterprise leadership. His framework resonated strongly with me because it reflects many of the transitions I experienced and observed throughout my own career.
Specialist to Generalist
Leaders must look beyond their own area and understand how all parts of the business connect and contribute to performance. They need enough knowledge of finance, operations, sales, marketing, technology, and people management to make balanced decisions.
Many managers struggle because they continue to lead from their expertise rather than from a broader business perspective.
This was certainly true in my own career. As an accountant, financial reporting and forecasting were my areas of expertise. As I moved into more senior roles, I realised that success was no longer about being the financial expert in the room. It was about understanding how finance connected with people, strategy, operations, and organisational performance.
Analyst to Integrator
Leaders must integrate multiple viewpoints, competing priorities, and often conflicting information to make sound decisions.
Leadership is less about having the right answer and more about bringing the right people together to find the best answer.
Tactician to Strategist
Managers deliver plans. Leaders create direction.
Many aspiring leaders remain trapped in the operational detail rather than lifting their gaze to the wider organisational strategy.
This is often referred to as Adaptive Leadership: “getting off the dance floor and onto the balcony”, creating the space to see the broader picture and anticipate what lies ahead.
Bricklayer to Architect
Leaders move from doing the work to designing and transforming organisations. Their responsibility shifts from execution to shaping the organisation, culture, systems, and talent that enable others to perform.
A manager builds the wall. A leader designs the blueprint.
Problem Solver to Agenda Setter
Managers are rewarded for fixing problems. Leaders decide which problems deserve attention in the first place.
The ability to define priorities and focus organisational attention on what matters most becomes increasingly important as leadership responsibility grows.
Warrior to Diplomat
Senior leaders spend significant time managing stakeholders, influencing without authority, building partnerships, and balancing competing interests both inside and outside the organisation.
Leadership at this level is often less about authority and more about influence.
Supporting Cast to Lead Role
Managers can often operate behind the scenes. Leaders are always visible. People watch their behaviour, communication, decisions, and reactions. Whether they realise it or not, they become symbols of organisational values and culture.
Leaders become the inspiration and role model for others. Their actions often speak louder than their words.
Letting Go of Expertise
Looking back, I can see that the most difficult part of becoming a leader was not learning something new. It was letting go of what had made me successful in the past.
As an accountant, the detail around financial reporting and forecasting was my expertise. It was where I felt most comfortable and confident. As I progressed into more senior leadership roles, I had to trust the financial experts around me and shift my focus from producing the information to understanding what it was telling me. My role shifted from creating the reports to interpreting them, from providing the answers to asking the right questions.
The further I progressed, the less my value came from being the expert and the more it came from creating clarity, developing people, and helping others succeed.
How Coaching Can Help
This is where coaching can provide valuable support. Leadership transitions can be exciting, but they can also be challenging as we navigate new responsibilities, identities, and expectations.
Having a trusted thinking partner can help leaders step back from the day-to-day, develop strategic perspective, challenge long-held assumptions, and build the confidence to lead beyond their area of expertise.
The managers who successfully make the transition to leadership are rarely those with all the answers. They are the ones willing to stay curious, keep learning, embrace new perspectives, and continue growing throughout their leadership journey.
Where are you on your own journey from manager to leader, and which of these shifts are you being called to make next?
Reference
Watkins, M.D. (2012). How Managers Become Leaders: The Seven Seismic Shifts of Perspective and Responsibility. Harvard Business Review.