Leadership development usually comes after the promotion, which is a bit like giving someone swimming lessons after pushing them off the boat.
Bold strategy, and the usual pattern goes something like this:
Someone is good at their job. Reliable. Capable. Trusted. They know the systems, the customers, the standards, and where the good pens are hidden.
People already go to them for help.
So naturally, they become the “obvious” choice for the next leadership role.
Then the promotion happens and all the usual signals.
New title and new expectations. Possibly a slightly awkward announcement in the team meeting.
And then everyone waits to see how they go.
That is where the problem starts, because the first 90 days after someone becomes a manager are usually treated as the test.
But what if the real opportunity is the 90 days before?
Leadership should be practised before it is required
At The Everyday Leader, I believe leadership should be practised before the title arrives.
Not because we need to create mini-managers wandering around with clipboards and a concerning amount of authority, but because leadership is not one big dramatic moment.
It is built in small, repeated moments that can happen anytime, anywhere and at any level of an organisation.
The moment someone explains a decision clearly.
The moment they give feedback without making it weird.
The moment they let someone else solve the problem instead of rescuing them.
The moment they speak up in a meeting.
The moment they notice a standard slipping and address it early.
The moment they choose to ask a better question rather than provide a faster answer.
These are the moments that tell you whether someone is building leadership capacity.
ANd that has little to do with quoting leadership in theory. Most people can do that after one podcast and a decent coffee.
The real test is what they do when the pressure comes on.
The mistake: promoting potential without preparing behaviour
A lot of emerging leaders have potential, which is not the issue.
The issue is that potential does not automatically become leadership behaviour.
Especially under pressure.
When things get busy, your best doer will usually default to what made them successful in the first place.
They work harder.
They move faster.
They take over.
They fix things.
They carry more.
And because they are capable, this can look impressive for a while.
Until it becomes the bottleneck.
In the meantime, the team waits. the new leader gets frustrated and the senior manager wonders why no one is stepping up.
Everyone quietly participates in a workplace version of “surely someone else will say something.”
Lovely. But do you recognise this pattern?
This is why the 90 days before promotion matters.
It gives you a chance to see how someone handles responsibility before the full weight of the role lands on them.
It also gives them a chance to build confidence through action.
Because confidence does not come first.
Action does.
What to focus on in the 90 days before promotion
The goal is not to overload them with management tasks before they are paid to do the job.
That would be rude. And legally suspicious, depending how enthusiastic you get.
The goal is to give them structured opportunities to practise everyday leadership.
Small stretch moments.
Clear expectations.
Supportive feedback.
Regular reflection.
Real conversations.
You are looking for signs that they can move from being the person who does the work to someone who helps others do the work well.
That shift takes practice.
The pre-manager checklist
Use this checklist to prepare someone before they officially step into a management role.
They do not need to master every item before promotion. That would be unrealistic, and frankly, slightly annoying. But they should be practising these areas and showing signs of growth.
1. Ownership
Can they take responsibility without needing to control everything?
Look for whether they:
- follow through on commitments
- own mistakes without becoming defensive
- identify what they can influence
- avoid blaming the team, the system, or “communication” as a vague magical villain
- take initiative without constantly needing permission
Leadership starts with ownership. Not ownership of everything, but ownership of their part.
2. Communication
Can they explain things clearly and check understanding?
Look for whether they:
- clarify expectations
- explain the “why” behind decisions
- adapt their communication to different people
- listen before jumping in
- notice when confusion is building
Many leadership problems are not strategy problems. They are conversation problems wearing a fake moustache.
3. Coaching
Can they help others think, rather than simply giving the answer?
Look for whether they:
- ask useful questions
- resist rescuing too quickly
- help others work through problems
- give people room to try
- support learning without taking over
This is one of the biggest shifts from doer to leader.
The doer says, “Here’s the answer.”
The leader asks, “What have you considered?”
Yes, sometimes giving the answer is faster.
So is eating cereal for dinner. That does not mean it should become the full operating model.
4. Feedback
Can they give timely, useful feedback before things become awkward?
Look for whether they:
- address small issues early
- give feedback respectfully and clearly
- name the behaviour, not attack the person
- recognise good work specifically
- avoid saving everything up for one dramatic conversation
Feedback is not a special event.
It is part of how trust, standards and performance are built.
5. Pressure
Can they stay intentional when things get busy, tense or uncertain?
Look for whether they:
- pause before reacting
- manage frustration without leaking it everywhere
- ask for help when needed
- stay calm enough to think clearly
- avoid turning every problem into an emergency
This is where leadership becomes visible.
Not when everything is easy.
When the wheels wobble and someone has to choose their next response.
6. Team development
Can they help others build confidence and capability?
Look for whether they:
- encourage others to step up
- share knowledge without creating dependence
- give people meaningful responsibility
- notice strengths in others
- celebrate progress, not just polished outcomes
A future manager should not just be good at the work.
They should make other people better around the work.
That is the difference.
How to use the checklist
Pick one or two areas at a time.
Do not hand someone the whole checklist and say, “Great news, we’re monitoring your soul.”
Use it as a development guide.
Have a conversation.
Ask:
“Which of these areas feels most natural to you?”
“Which one feels like more of a stretch?”
“What would be a useful leadership moment for you to practise this month?”
“What support would help?”
Then give them a real opportunity.
- Let them lead a small meeting.
- Let them coach a newer team member.
- Let them handle a low-risk feedback conversation.
- Let them own a small project.
- Let them bring a recommendation, not just a problem.
Then debrief it.
That debrief matters, because experience alone does not build leadership. Reflected experience does.
Without reflection, people just repeat what they already do and call it “learning.”
Which is very common.
And deeply human.
And occasionally disastrous.
Here’s what you can do about it
Before you promote your next best doer, give them 90 days of intentional stretch.
Help them practise the conversations, decisions and self-leadership moments they will need before the title arrives, because the first 90 days in management should not be the first time someone learns how to lead.
It should be where they continue building on what they have already started.
That is how you reduce the promoted-doer problem.
That is how you build confidence before the pressure peaks.
That is how you create leaders who do not just take over the work, but help others grow into it.
Leadership does not begin with the title.
It begins in the everyday moments where someone learns to step in, speak up, support others and take ownership.
And if you can prepare people there, before the promotion, you give them a much better chance of leading well when the moment arrives.