The expertise and skills that made you successful in your last role are often not the skills that will make you successful in your new role. That’s the promotion paradox.
You were promoted to a higher education leadership role because you excelled in operations, teaching, problem-solving, or leading an important committee. You likely thrived in those situations again and again. That excellence earned you credibility and praise. You may have even developed an identity around it.
That’s normal. It’s human. And it can get in your way.
The skills and capacities that earned you recognition and promotion are not necessarily the ones that will make you successful at the next level. In fact, they can quietly limit you as you ascend.
Letting Go
As leaders move up, one of the most difficult challenges is letting go of the skills and capacities that got them there. It is hard to stop doing what has earned years of praise and affirmation.
Yet if we don’t let go, we end up doing the old job instead of the new one. We micromanage those now responsible for that level of leadership. We abdicate responsibility for the level of leadership that is actually ours.
I’ve seen former Directors who were exceptional at handling complex student conduct cases continue to insert themselves into every case as an AVP, rather than coaching their Associate Dean to lead. Their instincts are good. Their experience is deep. But their role has changed.
When humans feel uncertain, they retreat to what is familiar. Leaders are humans too.
Embracing the Discomfort of the Unknown
Not only do we need to let go of what we are good at, but we must also embrace new leadership capacities where we are unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and not very good…yet.
That is a lot to ask of anyone, especially leaders who feel under a microscope from others or quietly wonder whether they are truly ready for the role. Developing new capacities and embracing discomfort while under pressure is not easy. But it is necessary.
The Messy Reality
Of course, this rarely unfolds cleanly. Over the past month, I’ve spoken with many AVPs and Deans. They say:
Yes, I need to let go of operational leadership, but I’m missing two directors and need to step back into that level until those roles are filled.
Yes, I need to focus on strategic leadership, but my VP keeps returning to this work and not letting go.
Yes, I need to help shape vision and culture, but my supervisor avoids that work, so I feel pulled into the void.
Leadership transitions are rarely tidy. The promotion paradox does not eliminate operational demands. It clarifies where your primary responsibility lies, even when you are temporarily pulled elsewhere. And too often, it isn’t as temporary as it should be.
Questions for Reflection
- What capacities are required at this level?
- Which of those feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar?
- Where might I be over-functioning?
- What do I need to let go of?
The Courage to Evolve
It takes courage to leave behind what made you successful. It takes humility to admit you are a beginner again in some areas. It takes discipline to resist retreating to what feels comfortable. It takes trust to allow others to grow into the space you once occupied. This is the developmental edge of leaders on the rise.
If you are feeling the tension of this paradox, it does not mean you are failing. It likely means you are standing at the threshold of your next level of leadership. Navigating that threshold is not something most of us were trained to do. It requires reflection, challenge, and support.
That is exactly what we focus on in Evolve Ascent, helping AVPs and Deans let go of what got them here, embrace the capacities required now, and navigate the messy reality of being pulled back into the familiar while stepping forward into what’s next.
