The Expert’s Challenge

Written By Sue Bush

Why Your Best Performer Struggles as a Leader

You just promoted your star performer. Six months later, they’re overwhelmed, still solving every problem themselves, and struggling to delegate.

Sound familiar?

Here’s the thing: you didn’t make a mistake. You simply gave them a completely different job — one that requires an entirely new skill set.

I see this play out constantly with emerging leaders, and I call it The Expert’s Challenge. The very expertise that once made someone shine as a top performer can quickly become their biggest obstacle in leadership.

In leadership development, the “Expert” is someone whose success has been built on being the most knowledgeable and capable in their field. Their confidence comes from knowing how to get things done right. But when they step into leadership, those same strengths can suddenly get in the way.

You’re Not Alone in This

When I first came across the research, I was stunned:

  • Harvard Business Review found that the average supervisor waits nearly 10 years before receiving any formal management training.

  • Gartner research shows that 85% of new managers receive no formal training at all when promoted.

No wonder the transition from expert to leader feels like being thrown in the deep end. Leadership isn’t just a new title — it’s a fundamental rewiring of how you operate and measure success.

And when organisations don’t step in with support, the costs are very real:

  • Burnout for your best people.

  • Bottlenecks that slow delivery.

  • Teams disengaging or leaving.

  • Growth opportunities missed because one person is holding everything.

Why This Shift Feels Impossible

As an expert, credibility comes from having the right answers and personally delivering results. But leadership flips that script entirely.

I once worked with a brilliant software architect who was promoted to team lead. He still insisted on reviewing every single line of code. His team was frustrated, projects were delayed, and he was working 70-hour weeks.

He wasn’t failing because he lacked talent. He was struggling because no one had taught him that his job had fundamentally changed.

This is the heart of the Expert’s Challenge:

  • You’re no longer rewarded for solving problems — you’re rewarded for enabling others to solve them.

  • Success isn’t measured by what you deliver, but by what your team achieves together.

  • You have to make decisions with incomplete information and lead through uncertainty. (Goodbye, comfort zone!)

The Three Essential Un-learnings

Overcoming the Expert’s Challenge isn’t about discarding what made you successful. It’s about evolving those strengths to fit your new role.

  1. Stop solving, start enabling
    Your greatest contribution isn’t being the smartest person in the room. It’s creating space for others to share ideas, test solutions, and grow — even when you could do it faster yourself.

  2. Become a multiplier, not just a doer
    The true mark of leadership? Watching others thrive under your guidance. Success is measured by how much your team can achieve collectively, not your individual output.

  3. Embrace the grey areas
    Leadership lives in uncertainty. You won’t always have the full picture, and that’s not a bug — it’s a feature. The skill is learning to weigh options, make calls, and move forward even when the path isn’t crystal clear.

The Ripple Effect

Here’s what I’ve observed: when leaders stay stuck in “super-expert” mode, their teams often experience:

  • Bottlenecks (everything waits for the leader’s input).

  • Missed opportunities (because only one perspective dominates).

  • Disengagement (people stop contributing when their voice doesn’t matter).

But when leaders successfully make this shift, the transformation is remarkable:

  • Teams become more innovative and empowered.

  • Decision-making accelerates.

  • A stronger pipeline of future leaders is built.

For organisations, this isn’t just about developing one leader. It’s about unlocking the performance and potential of the entire team.

Final Thoughts

The leap from expert to leader is one of the most challenging career transitions — but also one of the most rewarding when done right. The key is recognising that needing support during this shift isn’t a weakness. It’s smart leadership.

If your organisation is navigating this challenge, I’d be happy to share what’s working for others who are helping their best people make the leap from expert to leader.

Sources:

 

Sue Bush
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