One of the most common assumptions in organizations is this: the best performer on a team is the best candidate to lead it.
It seems logical. After all, high performers are dependable, they meet or exceed expectations, and they understand the work deeply. So when a management position opens up, many leaders instinctively turn to their top technical person.
But this well-meaning decision often leads to a quiet crisis—one that can have a lasting impact on the team and the organization.
High Performance ≠ Higher-Level Capability
Just because someone excels at their current role doesn’t mean they are ready to take on the complexity of a higher-level role. Each level in an organization brings with it increased complexity of work—the problems are less defined, the timelines are longer, and the solutions often span across multiple teams or functions.
Succeeding at a higher level requires a corresponding increase in problem-solving capability—the ability to take on broader, more ambiguous issues and find solutions that align with long-term goals. This capability is not developed simply through experience or tenure. It is a different kind of capacity, and not everyone possesses it to the same degree.
In short: being great at one level often means someone is in the right place. Moving them up may put them out of their depth.
From Top Performer to Struggling Manager
Here’s how this can go wrong:
A high-performing team member is promoted. They’ve earned respect, they get results, and they’ve been loyal. But now, instead of doing the work themselves, they are expected to:
- Step back from execution
- Coach and mentor others
- Make longer-term decisions
- Improve processes instead of doing tasks
Unfortunately, if they don’t have the capability to work at this next level, they may default to what they know best: doing the work themselves. They jump in to help former peers meet deliverables, micromanage details, and avoid strategic tasks.
And the real cost?
- The team loses its strongest contributor
- They gain a manager who’s not adding value at the right level
- The new manager becomes frustrated, overwhelmed, or disengaged
- And most damaging of all—there’s no easy way to fix it
Few people will willingly take what they perceive as a demotion. So the organization is left with someone in the wrong role, and the damage lingers.
A Better Way: Fit to Role
The good news is this problem can be prevented. At Effective Managers™, we’ve identified three essential factors for determining whether someone is ready for the next role:
- Problem-Solving Capability
– Can they think and work at the level of complexity required for the new role? - Skills and Knowledge
– Have they developed the managerial and leadership competencies needed for success? - Application
– Do they value the new kind of work enough to fully commit their energy and effort to it?
When any of these is missing, promotion becomes a risk—not a reward.
Management consultants can play a vital role here. By helping clients implement structured Talent Pool Reviews, and by aligning role requirements with the individual’s capability, we can ensure the right people are in the right roles—at every level.
Final Thoughts
Promoting someone just because they’ve succeeded at one level is a short-sighted move. Instead, we need to look deeper—at their capability, their readiness, and their alignment with the complexity of the next level of work.
As consultants, our job is to help organizations build leadership capacity with intention, not assumption.
Want to help your clients make smarter promotion decisions?
Join me at the CMC Canada Master Class: Getting the Right Person in the Right Role this May. You’ll walk away with the frameworks and tools to guide clients in avoiding these all-too-common missteps.
