Episode 1 · I’M A MANAGER. WHAT’S NEXT? · CHAPTER 1: AM I READY TO LEAD?
Why am I not the obvious choice?
Rita had done everything right. Or at least, that’s what she thought.
For the past three years, she had consistently delivered.
She met deadlines. Solved problems. Took ownership when things went wrong. Her projects were successful, her stakeholders trusted her, and her manager regularly relied on her to handle the difficult assignments.
So when the management position became available, Rita didn’t need much convincing.
She was ready.
She had earned it.
At least, that was how she saw it.
Until the announcement came.
The position had gone to Mark.
Mark was good. Rita couldn’t deny that. But he hadn’t delivered nearly as many projects as she had. He wasn’t the person everyone turned to when something needed to get done.
Rita read the announcement twice.
Then she closed her laptop.
"Seriously?" she muttered.
Later that afternoon, she called Sophie.
“Guess who got the promotion?”
Sophie paused.
“Not you?”
“Nope. Mark.”
“Oh, Rita. I’m sorry. I know how much you wanted that.”
Rita exhaled.
“I honestly don’t understand. I’ve been doing the work. I’ve taken on more responsibility than anyone else. What else am I supposed to do?”
Sophie thought for a moment.
“Maybe they saw something in Mark that they didn’t see in you?”
Rita went quiet.
“Such as?”
“I don’t know. Maybe how he works with people? How he brings others along?”
Rita wasn’t convinced.
“So delivering results doesn’t count anymore?”
“Of course it counts,” Sophie replied. “But maybe it’s not the only thing that counts.”
Rita changed the subject.
But the conversation stayed with her.
The uncomfortable question
Rita’s frustration is understandable.
She had built her reputation on being reliable, capable and results-driven. She believed that consistent performance would naturally lead to the next opportunity.
And that’s where many ambitious professionals get stuck.
They assume that being excellent at their current job automatically makes them ready for the next one.
But the move from individual contributor to manager is not simply a promotion.
It is a change in what success looks like.
As an individual contributor, your value is often measured by what you deliver.
As a manager, your value increasingly comes from what you enable others to deliver.
That requires a different set of capabilities.
- Influence: Can you bring people along, even when you don’t have all the answers?
- Communication: Can you create clarity and direction for others?
- Decision-making: Can you make decisions when information is incomplete?
- Developing people: Can you help others perform rather than doing everything yourself?
- Building trust: Can people challenge you, disagree with you and still feel respected?
These capabilities don’t necessarily show up in your individual performance metrics.
And that’s the problem.
You can be an exceptional performer and still not have demonstrated that you’re ready to lead people.
It doesn’t mean you’re incapable of becoming a manager. It means you may need to start demonstrating a different kind of value.
What Rita needs to understand
Rita’s instinct is to work harder.
Take on another project. Deliver more. Prove that she’s the strongest candidate.
But more of the same may not solve the problem.
If the organisation is looking for someone who can develop people, influence stakeholders and create direction, delivering another successful project won’t necessarily demonstrate those capabilities.
Rita needs to stop asking:
How can I prove I’m the best at what I do?
And start asking:
How can I demonstrate that I’m ready to lead?
Those are two very different questions.
Your leadership challenge: Get clarity before you work harder
If you’ve been overlooked for a promotion, resist the temptation to immediately prove yourself through more work. Instead, have a direct conversation with your manager. Ask three questions:
- 1
What differentiated the person who was selected?
You need specific examples, not vague feedback.
- 2
What capabilities do I need to demonstrate to be considered ready for a leadership role?
Ask for observable behaviours, not abstract qualities like “executive presence” or “leadership potential.”
- 3
What opportunities can we agree on that will allow me to demonstrate those capabilities?
For example:
- Leading a cross-functional initiative.
- Mentoring or developing a colleague.
- Facilitating a difficult stakeholder conversation.
- Taking ownership of a team objective.
- Making decisions and communicating direction across a project.
Then agree on what success will look like and when you will review progress. The objective is not to ask for another promise of promotion. It is to get evidence of what readiness means in your organisation.
A question to reflect on
Think about your current role.
Are you demonstrating that you can do your job exceptionally well?
Or are you already demonstrating that you can help other people do theirs exceptionally well?
There is a difference.
And recognising that difference might be the first step towards your next leadership role.
Four takeaways
- 1
Excellence in your current role does not automatically make you ready for the next one.
- 2
As a manager, your value shifts from what you deliver to what you enable others to deliver.
- 3
Before you work harder, get clarity: ask what set the chosen person apart, which capabilities you need to show, and which opportunities will let you show them.
- 4
Stop asking how to prove you’re the best at what you do. Start asking how to demonstrate you’re ready to lead.
Recognise yourself in Rita or Sophie?
A conversation is a calm first step to understanding your own leadership patterns.
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