# Promotion or management role? With these 5 tips, you’ll rock your career advancement

- URL: https://hr-passionista.com/en/promotion-to-leadership-5-tips-for-a-successful-career-move/
- Published: 2026-01-21
- Updated: 2026-01-31
- Author: Marion Eppinger (HR-Passionista)
- Categories: change, leadership in transition

> Master your promotion to a leadership role with 5 practical tips—strategies for career advancement and lasting leadership success.

##### advancement to a leadership position in your career often comes unexpectedly. There is no crash course in „how to be a boss“.

In my **coaching sessions,** I often encounter **„young/new“ managers who are overwhelmed by their new role and by the fact that they are** **now the boss.** Companies often adopt the approach of *„throwing people in at the deep end and expecting them to learn to swim“* – we are all familiar with this „method“. However, this approach not only **robs** the managers themselves **of a lot of time and energy**, but also their team members. This **inevitably leads** **to** **many mistakes** being made – **not** because they are intentional, but because the managers **don’t know any better.**

One of the **most well-known behaviours** is the **ostrich principle.** Are you familiar with it? This involves *burying your head in the sand and hoping that the „danger“ will disappear is a tactic often used to avoid conflict.*

Poeple also **act overly good-naturedly** so as not **to fall out with their own employees.**

These are all **issues** that repeatedly **arise** when **new managers** are overwhelmed**,** because their priority is simply to survive.

That’s why I would like to share **five „quick & dirty“ tips** with **new managers** today to help them find **success.** This provides a **foundation** for a **good start in a leadership role**, but of course **everyone** has to **implement** them **themselves:**

### **1\. Team meetings or daily stand-up meetings:**

A **weekly jour fixed appointment** and/or a **daily stand-up** (daily update meeting) are the **basic prerequisites** for **good teamwork.** The aim is **to keep** **each other up to date,** **share** information and **highlight** any **project/task** delays or issues. These meetings are **not intended as a platform for criticising** **individuals**, but rather the entire team – they are **a forum** for **„naming and shaming“**. Problems and criticism should always be discussed directly the employee at the time they arise/are expressed! This brings us to the next point.

### **2\. Weekly individual update with each employee in the team:**

Firstly, the **focus** here is **on** **personal 1:1 contact**. It is a **great opportunity** to **ask** how the **team member is doing**: *what is going well, what is not going so well?*

It is helpful to discuss the **details of the individual tasks**, **define specific activities** and **time frames**, **and talk through praise and criticism**. Here is a quick reminder of my [feedback tips](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mitarbeitergespr%25C3%25A4che-virtuelles-feedback-geben-leicht-marion-eppinger/?trackingId=Mem6o0WjT8q5tEKf38Md0Q%3D%3D):

*—>It is important not only to discuss criticism during the conversation, but also to explain possible consequences.*

One personal aspect that I always include here is the **3-strike principle,** which ensures that you are well equipped to get off to an excellent start without wasting unnecessary energy.

The **first time:** point out the offence and reflect on it.

The **second time:** reflect again on why it happened again and consider the prospect of a possible final strike.

**The third time:** apply the communicated consequence: which could be a warning or even possible dismissal, depending on the offence. (Note the [sandwich feedback technique](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mitarbeitergespr%25C3%25A4che-virtuelles-feedback-geben-leicht-marion-eppinger/?trackingId=Mem6o0WjT8q5tEKf38Md0Q%3D%3D)).

The first two steps may sound **very time-consuming**, especially if you have a large team. Here, we can say with certainty that they are. To **keep track of** everything, it is important **to find** a **suitable tools for documentation, responsibilities and time management.** My favourite tool for this was Asana. ([an online project management tool](https://asana.com/de))

### **3\. Communication**

Although people often **talk** about **open communication**, it is rarely **implemented properly** due to **a** **lack of** knowledge. My recommendation is **to communicate as much as possible,** while considering what information **the team needs to know and what they don’t.** If you **can’t address certain topics** for whatever reason, such as a confidentiality clause, then you should also **openly inform the team** that you can’t talk about it. There are often also **topics that are none of the team’s business.** In this case I tend to say: *„Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it, you don’t need to worry about it. I’ll make sure everything continues to run smoothly!“*

### **4\. Define the role of the deputy**

If you have **a good deputy**, you can **go on holiday with peace of mind** – doesn’t that sound great? Often, not enough **focus** is placed on this, or it is **not** even **desired** – either by the company or by management, who believe that this makes them indispensable. Unfortunately, the reality is different: everyone is replaceable. The **most important thing** to **communicate** and **clearly define this within the team**. **A deputy** will always **have** slightly **more information** than the rest of the team, but this should **not lead to envy**, as that would be **counterproductive**.

### **5\. Teaching independence**

I often see **new managers wanting to help** their team by **taking work off** their hands to make things easier for them or relieve them of some of their workload**.** When this happens, you’re playing the **rescuer** and in my view, it is a loosing game. **Team** members will **get used to this** if you do it repeatedly**,** and you will end **up** **completely overworked and burnt out.** It is therefore important to offer **help for self-help**, i.e. to be **a mentor rather than a saviour**: If a team member comes to me with an apparently unsolvable problem, I would first ask**:** *„What do you need to solve this problem and what is stopping you?“* – These are **classic mentor questions**, just two of many, of course. What happens next? You **reflect together on** how to solve the problem, rather than taking it away from the person.

![](https://hr-passionista.com/media/2021/04/christina-boemio-vAsCUYItOzw-unsplash-1024x624.jpg)

#### It’s **exciting** to consider **everything** that needs **to be taken into account** in a **new leadership role.**

**Follow these 5 tips to be successful.** But remember **change** is **often a rollercoaster ride,** with its ups and downs, **and that’s just part of it.**

I often **compare** a **new leadership role to the saying:** „Becoming a father is not difficult, but being a father is.“

**Int the context of work**, that would be:

> „Becoming a manager is not difficult, but being a manager is.“

You may get the **title** **quickly on your new business card,** but that **doesn‘**t **mean** you’re **actually living** the **role**. **My advice** would be to simply **give** it **a try and see** if anything **changes** or **if** you feel more comfortable in this new situation**.** However, if you realise that you **still need support in your new role**, don’t hesitate to contact me at [marion@hr-passionista.com](marion@hr-passionista.com) and we’ll arrange a **free inital consultation (30 minutes)** – during which we can discuss the challenges you are facing.

And don’t forget:

> #### „It takes courage to act in order for progress to happen!“

![](https://hr-passionista.com/media/2025/11/DSC01841-Edit.jpg)

### My conclusion

The title appears very quickly on the new business card, but that doesn't mean that the role is actually being lived.

My advice is to simply try it out and see if anything changes or if this new situation already feels better. But if you realise that you still need support in your new role, no problem – feel free to write to me and we'll look at the challenge together.