Page 33 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

18 Just Promoted!

number of other employees. Depending on the scope of the position to
which a leader is promoted, the numbers could be much greater. The
domino effect every time someone is promoted or changes roles can be
dramatic. It is not uncommon that 1 vacancy can set off a series of 6 or
more openings as incumbents fill new roles and career movement
occurs. In one organization a marketing executive who worked in the
state of Maryland was selected for a general manager’s role in Utah. Fill-
ing the role in Utah ultimately caused a very difficult to fill plant man-
ager’s role in Sweden to become open. Qualified internal candidates
continued to post for available positions as they opened. A total of 12
positions across North America and Europe needed to be filled in this
one case example. On one hand, it is healthy to have opportunities for
career growth for well-qualified internal candidates. On the other hand,
most organizations today have shortages of experienced leaders available
to fill roles. Newly promoted leaders need to ensure that their organiza-
tion has talent management processes that yield or can recruit talented
candidates capable of assuming such roles.
■ When leaders struggle following their promotion or appointment, those
around them tend to struggle as well. There is a high likelihood that
both performance levels and employee engagement levels of those strug-
gling leaders’ direct reports will be compromised.
■ The 2009 Fortune-Hewitt Top Companies for Leaders research study
identifies key leadership development processes that companies must
rigorously and consistently implement to build core leadership strength
and a robust leadership talent pipeline. One of those processes is the sys-
tematic onboarding of leaders as they enter new roles and expanded
responsibilities. Of the more than 500 companies that submitted applica-
tions in this study, the North American results revealed that less than
two-thirds had a formal onboarding process. 5

OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK
We are surrounded by people promoted to more responsible, higher-paying
jobs. Some seem to be on the way to the top so quickly that they do not stay
in any one job long enough to be truly tested. Some seem to be promoted or
moved into a new role just before the roof falls in. There are people who seem