Many technical experts are promoted into management as a reward for excellent performance, then struggle almost immediately. The skills that made them expert individual contributors don’t translate to effective performance in leadership roles. For technical leaders, leadership development can be the difference between success and failure.

On episode 142 of The Science of Personality, cohosts Ryne Sherman, PhD, and Blake Loepp spoke with Kevin Mitchell, PhD, talent and organisational development manager at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, about developing technical experts into leaders.

Read on to learn about the mindset shift that can be a struggle for technical leaders, why expertise isn’t necessarily an asset anymore, and four specific strategies for an effective technical leadership development program.

A Mindset Shift for Technical Leaders

Technical experts have deep specialled knowledge and a reputation for solving problems. When they transition into leadership, however, the nature of their entire role changes. They’re no longer the problem solver; instead, they have become a problem facilitator or coach. “It is a big shift to move from ‘I have to provide the answer’ to ‘I have to build the capability for others to solve problems,’” Kevin said.

These new leaders must quickly master a set of new skills and competencies—in public. “You’re learning skills and approach in front of people, and people are relying on you to do well,” Kevin elaborated. He said it can be a challenge for leaders to recognise that they no longer have all the answers or solutions.

Organisations don’t always communicate the types of skills and learning experiences that are necessary for a transition to leadership. Instead, many promotions include an implicit message about technical expertise. Kevin joked: “Congratulations, you’re the best at your job, so now you’re a leader. You’re smart. You’ll figure it out.” On a more serious note, this can cause leaders to believe that they should still rely on technical knowledge and other approaches that helped them succeed as individual contributors. But technical expertise doesn’t equal leadership expertise.

Expertise As a Liability

Technical expertise is the necessary foundation for a successful career in many, many roles. Experts earn respect by doing research, delivering healthcare, or solving problems. Expertise also tends to be part of professional identity. It’s understandably challenging for technical experts not to view their expertise as the most important skill they bring to their work.

Unfortunately, expertise can become a liability in several ways:

• Failing to delegate – Technical experts who become leaders tend to keep too much work for themselves, continuing to solve problems that others should own instead of teaching their team.
• Not letting go of the spotlight – A leader should highlight their team’s accomplishments, even though their individual successes were likely what got them noticed and promoted.
• Ignoring strategy – Unless they break out of their domain expertise, technical leaders might not recognise the more strategic and visionary projects that are essential to organisational success.

During the transition to a leader role, leadership development can help shape a technical expert’s new identity and accelerate efficiency. It can also boost both confidence and competence.

How to Develop Technical Experts into Leaders

Leadership development for technical leaders is most effective when it’s provided as early as possible. “Investing early in leadership development in an intentional way will pay dividends down the line from an organisational standpoint,” Kevin said.

Part of the process involves understanding any informal leadership development that’s already happening, Kevin explained. Leaders will develop one way or another. The question is whether it happens by design or by default. “If your development system is focused only on the formal leaders, you’re missing a chunk of the culture and the development arena that’s feeding that system,” he added.

Kevin recommended four strategies for technical leadership development: (1) use assessments, (2) demonstrate ROI, (3) meet leaders where they are, and (4) lean on science.

Use Assessments

Kevin suggested using 360 assessments that focus on needs tailored to the specific managerial level of the technical leader. Pairing 360s with personality assessments provides a fuller picture of the leader’s strengths and development areas. Successful development programs then prompt participants to apply these insights when building specific leadership skills.

As organisations collect assessment data over time, they gain insights about their leaders’ strengths, derailers, and values. This in turn can influence internal communication, talent development, incentive programs, and organisational culture.

Demonstrate ROI

Conducting a needs assessment is critical for any technical leadership development program, Kevin explained. This might involve in-depth interviews and focus groups with leaders across levels. From there, metrics can follow.

In general, useful metrics for ROI track whether development efforts improve retention or engagement. “Say that every nurse is $40,000 in cost of turnover. If you reduce turnover by even a small percentage due to leadership practices, you’re talking about a huge cost reduction, irrespective of the people impact that also comes along with that,” he said.

Meet Technical Leaders Where They Are

Because coaching and conflict management skills might be unfamiliar to technical experts and rarely come naturally to any leader, development activities that help build confidence are key. Modelled scenarios and coaching circles create a safe place for technical leaders to explore and practice new skills. Trying out a leadership skill in a lower-stakes environment first, such as role-play, can help them implement it successfully later in front of their team.

Development in a cohort can offer even more benefits for technical leaders. Ask them to practice something between sessions, then reflect and discuss at the beginning of the next session. “What worked? What didn’t work? Let’s share with one another as peers and springboard into further refinement,” Kevin said. Learning in a community will also facilitate the mindset shift needed for technical leaders to stop achieving work autonomously and start accomplishing by means of their team.

Lean On Science

Leadership development programs should have a scientific basis and approach to implementation. Being able to speak to the accuracy and reliability of assessment science is particularly necessary when building a program for technical leaders. Technical experts have a great appreciation for objective, provable data. Quite simply, they are likely to find a scientifically valid assessment more credible than one using types, colours, numbers, or roles. “No matter the assessment, I have to have a good faith that I’m able to defend it in a meaningful way to scientists,” Kevin said.

Listen to this conversation in full on episode 142 of The Science of Personality. Never miss an episode by following us anywhere you get podcasts.

*This article originally appeared on Hogan Assessments.