From star performer to team leader: Why management development matters

Dennis stared at the email, his mouth slightly open. 

“Congratulations, Dennis! We’re thrilled to announce your promotion to Team Manager. Your leadership journey starts now.” 

At 30, Dennis had built a strong reputation. As a qualified software engineer with an instinct for innovation, he delivered excellent results, met deadlines, and often surprised the team with creative problem-solving. His colleagues respected him. His boss trusted him. So, naturally, when the time came to appoint a new manager for the growing IT team, Dennis was the obvious choice. 

Except, Dennis didn’t feel ready. 

He closed his laptop and rubbed his temples. Leading a team of 15? He had no clue how to start. His strengths lay in solving code puzzles and building digital solutions—not navigating office politics, resolving conflicts, or motivating people through low morale. 

The star performer trap 

Dennis’s story isn’t uncommon. High-performing individual contributors are often promoted into management roles based on their technical excellence, not necessarily their leadership readiness. It’s a well-intentioned move—recognising talent and rewarding results—but it can backfire. 

Management isn’t just about doing the work anymore. It’s about achieving results through others. 

The shift from contributor to manager 

Dennis soon realised that his days of quietly plugging in headphones and writing clean code were over. Now, people looked to him for guidance. One teammate needed help prioritising their tasks. Another felt overlooked. A third wanted to talk about burnout. 

Suddenly, his role required a new set of skills—skills he had never been taught: 

• Communication and feedback: How do you give constructive criticism without demoralising someone? 

• Emotional intelligence: How do you notice when someone is struggling, and respond with empathy? 

• Conflict resolution: What do you do when two teammates disagree on a solution and neither will budge? 

• Delegation and trust: How do you let go and allow others to own parts of the work? 

• Coaching: How do you help someone grow, rather than just telling them what to do? 

Answers to these questions were not in any manual that he read. No coding bootcamp had prepared him for team dynamics or performance reviews. 

How do we know if someone has what it takes? 

That’s the question many organisations grapple with. Talent management teams cannot just assume that technical excellence equals leadership potential. However, there are ways to assess and prepare people like Dennis: 

1. Use leadership potential assessments – these include tools and conversations to evaluate emotional intelligence, learning agility, and people orientation. 

2. Get 360° feedback – insights from peers, reports, and managers can reveal natural tendencies and blind spots. 

3. Observe early signals – Does Dennis mentor junior staff? Does he share knowledge openly? How does he handle conflict? 

If the signs are there, organisations can step in before someone steps up. 

What happens if Dennis is not supported? 

Imagine Dennis left to figure things out on his own. No training. No coaching. No safe space to reflect and learn. Slowly, the enthusiasm fades. His team senses his uncertainty. Engagement drops. Small issues go unresolved and grow into bigger ones. Deadlines start slipping. Dennis, who once loved coming to work, now dreads it. He questions his ability. His confidence takes a knock. 

And the organisation? It risks losing not only a talented engineer, but also an entire team’s performance. 

Building better managers 

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to go that way. When organisations invest in management development—offering programmes, mentoring, peer learning, and regular check-ins—they help people like Dennis thrive in their new roles. 

Dennis doesn’t need to become a perfect manager overnight, but he needs support and a roadmap. He needs someone to say, “It’s okay not to know everything. Let’s learn together.” 

When Dennis grows, his team grows. And when teams grow, so does the whole organisation. 

Final thought 

Great managers aren’t born—they’re built. Promoting Dennis was the first step. Now comes the more important one: developing him. 

And that’s where the true success story begins.