The Peer-to-Boss Pivot: Strategies for a Smooth Rise to Leadership

When you get promoted, you receive a new title, a salary bump, and those proverbial "corner-office privileges." But, what they forget to tell you is that, with your new position, you also receive a new identity.

Stepping into a leadership role for the first time is much more than taking a step up on the org chart. In many ways, stepping up to leadership entails taking on a whole new identity, even if you don't want or mean to.?

Newly promoted managers—meaning those new to leading other team members—must transition from being part of the team to overseeing it. This shift often feels uncomfortable. Learning to navigate this discomfort is the key to successfully transitioning from an individual contributor to a leader of other individuals.

Why is this transition so rocky?

Despite your best efforts or intentions, when you go from peer to boss, workplace and team dynamics are bound to change. That's because, as a people leader, you now have access to confidential files. You now get invitations to closed-door meetings. You now have access to senior leaders. You now make decisions about promotions, pay raises, and approved leave—decisions that impact the lives and livelihoods of other employees.

Your purview expands and this, in turn, impacts your relationship with former peers.

Colleagues who were once your equals will now look to you for guidance and support. Further, you’ll have to hold some of these former peers accountable. And this is where it becomes challenging: Many new leaders try to maintain the same peer relationships while taking on leadership responsibilities. This muddies the lines of authority and makes the new leader’s transition all the more challenging.

How to navigate this transition successfully.

In one of my early leadership positions, I stumbled while making this transition. A year prior to becoming the head of my team, I'd developed close, personal, beer-drinking bonds with several team members. Reframing these relationships was difficult, but necessary.

For your benefit, there are a few tips and tricks below. Informed both by my personal experience and by advice I've given to other leaders in my training and coaching, these strategies will help newly promoted managers make the leap to leadership with as few scrapes and scratches as possible.

Set Clear Boundaries

Be transparent with all of your direct reports, including former peers and work friends, about your new role and responsibilities. Communicate your expectations early to avoid misunderstandings.

Stay Approachable but Professional

In this identity shift, you don’t have to become cold or distant, but you do need to maintain a level of professional authority. Behave by the book in your new role to avoid muddled lines.

Leverage One-on-One Conversations

If you have had a particularly close relationship with someone you will now be managing, tackle this in a one-on-one. Acknowledge the challenges and work together to agree on new rules of engagement to avoid any conflicts of interest.

Closing thoughts.

Making this shift may feel awkward initially. I know from experience, having taken the lead of a team of colleagues I once barhopped with. But clarity and consistency will help ease the transition and build long-term trust. in my experience, this process requires patience and a willingness to step into discomfort. But with time, the new dynamics settle, relationships strengthen, and the benefits of your new leadership role become clear to both you and your team.

As the owner of CoWorks Leadership Strategists, Jay offers virtual and in-person workshops on leadership and teamwork essentials