Managing the transition from peer to boss

Being promoted above your peers is like changing the rules mid-game and it's a tricky one to navigate!

When you’re stepping up into leadership in a new organisation it’s a great opportunity for a fresh start.

This isn’t so easy with an internal promotion and managing peers is just one of the (many) hurdles to overcome.

Whether you like it or not things do change when you start managing your peers. Pretending otherwise just makes it harder for everyone.

Here are my 5 top tips for making this work….

✅ Be upfront about the awkward transition
✅ Accept that some relationships will shift
✅ Have direct conversations about expectations
✅ Give former peers space to adjust
✅ Don’t overcompensate by being too casual or too formal – just be yourself.

The transition can be uncomfortable. That's normal. But ignoring and hoping new relationships will fall into place is leaving things to chance; they may, or may not, work out.

If you can bring some intention to the transition from peer to manager, you’ll be in a much better position to:

👌 Build real, honest relationships with your team
👌 Communicate openly and easily
👌 Get work done instead of tiptoeing around each other

What's been your biggest lesson in managing former peers?

Drop me an email , I’d love to hear from you.