The costly promotion

Classic scenario: your best developer becomes team lead. Your top salesperson becomes sales manager. Your star consultant becomes director.

Six months later: the expert is miserable, the team is lost, turnover climbs.

The problem isn't the expert. The problem is that you gave them a job they never wanted and were never prepared for.

Why we do this

Because in most organizations, there's only one career path: become a manager. You're good at your job? You get promoted. You now manage a team.

Result: you lose a great expert, gain a poor manager, and the team suffers.

What it costs

The promoted expert is out of their depth. They spend their time doing what they don't know how to do (manage) instead of what they're excellent at (their craft). Eventually, they leave.

The team doesn't know where to turn. The manager can't give feedback, can't make calls, can't protect the team. The best people start looking elsewhere.

And who stays? Those who are comfortable enough with the status quo. Those who above all don't want anything to change.

The solution

Build two career paths: a management track AND an expert track. Let experts grow, be recognized, have impact — without having to manage anyone.

And when you do promote into management, do it with intention. Train them. Equip them. Support them. Don't just hand out a title and hope for the best.