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| Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash |
overwhelmed. Not because they lack intelligence or work ethic, but because talent doesn’t automatically translate to leadership.
Leadership isn’t a promotion.
It isn’t a reward for being good at your job.
Leadership is a separate skillset—one many people are never taught before they’re expected to excel at it.
That creates the leadership gap, and it shows up in three key areas.
1. The Skills Gap
Leadership requires communication, delegation, conflict resolution, planning, and emotional intelligence. These aren’t instincts—they’re learned abilities.
People often walk into leadership roles with strong technical skills but almost no training in how to actually lead humans.
Closing the Skills Gap
• Offer leadership training early
• Teach communication and coaching skills
• Provide mentorship from experienced leaders
• Give new leaders small leadership responsibilities before big ones
Skills don’t appear through trial and error—they grow through intentional development.
2. The Confidence Gap
Many new leaders hesitate because they’re afraid of making the wrong call. They second-guess decisions, overthink interactions, and freeze when things get difficult.
Confidence isn’t arrogance—it’s the belief you can grow into the job.
Closing the Confidence Gap
• Celebrate small wins
• Provide clear expectations
• Model vulnerability and healthy decision-making
• Give timely, honest feedback
Confidence grows when leaders realize they don’t have to be perfect—they just have to be committed.
3. The Mindset Gap
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| Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash |
Leadership is a shift from “I do the work” to “I develop the people who do the work.”
Closing the Mindset Gap
• Teach leaders to think long-term
• Focus on culture, not just performance
• Encourage collaboration instead of heroics
• Reinforce that leadership is service, not status
A leader’s mindset sets the tone for the entire team.
Promote Leaders Before — Not After — They’re Ready
A common mistake in organizations is waiting until someone is “fully ready” to put them into leadership.
That day never comes.
The better approach is to give emerging leaders:
• Small leadership roles
• Opportunities to coach or guide others
• Limited authority with structured support
• Space to fail safely
Leadership is like strengthening a muscle—it only develops with use.
Why Growth Beats Perfection
Perfection creates stress. Growth creates progress.
Teams don’t need flawless leaders.
They need leaders who:
• Learn quickly
• Listen well
• Adapt
• Serve their people
Growth-oriented leaders build cultures where improvement is normal and mistakes are learning opportunities, not failures.
The Peter Principle: A Warning for Every Orginization
Dr. Laurence Peter’s Peter Principle states that in many organizations, people are promoted based on success in their current role—until they reach a level where they are no longer competent.
In other words:
People get promoted until they land in a job they’re not equipped to handle.
The solution isn’t to promote less—it’s to prepare more.
Strong organizations train leadership ability before someone becomes a leader, not after they’re struggling.
Final Thought
Good people don’t fail at leadership because they’re incapable.
They struggle because they were never given the tools, time, or training to grow into the role.
Close the skills gap.
Build the confidence gap.
Shift the mindset gap.
Develop leaders early.
Growth beats perfection—every time.
Teach it.
Coach it.
Lead.
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| www.johnvandusen.com |
Sources & Credits
For foundational research on leadership development and promotion pitfalls, see Laurence J. Peter & Raymond Hull, The Peter Principle (HarperCollins, 1969). Insights on leader growth and organizational culture are also supported by Jim Collins in Good to Great (HarperBusiness, 2001).
This post was drafted with the assistance of AI (ChatGPT) and edited by Mr. VanDusen.
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