A Step-by-Step Emerging Leader Development Plan (Before Promotion)
If there is one thing I know to be true across all of the leaders I have worked with, its this: what made them great at their doing role will not necessarily make them a great leader.
That's not to say they didn't have leadership capability. But making the transition from doing to leading is one of the most difficult transitions to make. It requires us to change our habits and let go of behaviours that made us successful in the past but are no longer serving us (stepping in and taking on the task, solving all the problems and being the fixer) to create a whole new set of habits that support us to add value through others. It's no easy task.
And yet I know you can already see who your emerging leaders are. So let me ask you, how are you setting them up for success now rather than throwing them in the deep end, which happens so often?
If you’ve got high-performing operators or technical personnel you’re considering for leadership in the next 6-18 months, below I'm going to show you the framework I use as the most effective way to prepare them.
Rather than be reactive, the goal here is to build capability first, so promotion becomes a smooth transition that they’re prepared for and capable of.
Step 1: Build the Foundation: “Lead Self” First
Before we lead others, we need self-awareness and to understand what it looks like when we are leading ourselves. These are skills we can learn from where we are now, they don't require a leadership role.
Skills to develop:
Self-awareness (impact, triggers, patterns),
Emotional regulation (keeping their cool when things go wrong),
Growth mindset (coachability, ownership, learning from feedback)
Confidence + self-talk (not second-guessing every decision)
How they can practise in their current role:
Reflect in the moment when things go really well and when they don't: what happened, how I responded, what I’d do differently. Celebrate the small wins and be really honest when we respond in a way that doesn't serve us.
Receive feedback on how they show up, focus on behaviours and impact rather than job or task.
Outcome: More aware, intentional and consistent future leaders.
Action: If you are not already, start working these topics into your feedback conversations and performance reviews.
Step 2: Start Building Their Communication Toolkit
Most new leaders struggle because they don’t have the words so they avoid conversations or overcorrect. Another tendency can be to sit on things, rather than intervene early when it's easier and before small issues become big issues you can no longer ignore.
Skills to develop:
Setting clear expectations (what good looks like),
Communicating priorities clearly,
Leading short daily check-ins / direction-setting,
Giving clear, respectful direction (without apologising for it).
How they can practise in their current role:
Run a short pre-start or handover brief
Practise expectation-setting in real tasks and deadlines.
Outcome: Clarity around expected outcomes and behaviours improves, which makes it easier to give feedback, which supports people development. It's a win-win.
Step 3: Develop Values-Based Leadership
If your workplace has a set of values they are a great tool for new leaders to help them set the tone to build culture, provide feedback and get buy-in to what behaviours are and aren't acceptable in your team.
This is where as leaders we start to learn how to shape culture, not just accept what is there now and work within it.
Skills to develop:
Understanding what drives culture day-to-day,
Applying values as behavioural standards,
Addressing misalignment early (before it becomes a big issue).
How they can practise in their current role:
Link expectations to values (“this is what ‘ownership’ looks like here”)
Learn how to correct behaviour, whilst keeping it positive, future focused and without making it personal.
Outcome: They become influencers of culture before they become formal leaders.
Step 4: Introduce Feedback Skills
The people we identify as the next leaders, normally know the job inside out. They have the technical skills and knowledge they need, there's not much we need to teach them in this space. Where they struggle is the people skills. I think of these as the hard skills, not the soft skills.
Feedback is where most first-time leaders can find themselves avoiding the tough chat, or prioritising the job over the conversations. Feedback can be hard to get right, for some it might come across as harsh, from others it sounds repetitive, and loses its impact. The only way to get better at feedback is to practice, and the only real way to do that is to start giving it.
Skills to develop:
Having direct conversations early,
Listening properly (not just waiting to respond),
Managing bias traps in how they perceive performance.
How they can practise in their current role:
Talk through common scenarios, then apply in real low-risk moments,
Learn frameworks to give positive and constructive feedback that is useful and actionable
Outcome: They can hold standards without creating conflict and provide feedback to peers in the moment.
The Result: The Step Into Leadership Becomes a Smooth(er) Transition
When you develop emerging leaders before promotion you are creating a pipeline of future leaders that are not thrown in the deep end or sinking or swimming, they are ready and know what to expect, especially when it comes to the people stuff.
Confidence rises instead of collapsing
Culture stays consistent
Trust builds early
Ramp-up time reduces
Your leadership bench becomes stronger every quarter
Because leadership shouldn’t start on day one of a new title.
It should be built months before.
Want to develop your emerging leader?
If you’re interested in developing your emerging leaders before promotion, check out my Crew To Leader 101 program here. It’s designed for emerging leaders to develop their leadership skills while they’re still in their current role. It’s online, doesn’t interfere with day to day operations or production and it gives you a pipeline of leaders when you need it.