Strong leaders, stronger teams. In this episode, we get real about why new leaders struggle, why delegation is hard, and how to build a culture where development is part of the work week, not a once-a-year event. We’re joined by Jamey Gadoury, founder of Outsider Consulting and host of Outsider Unscripted. We talk promotions before readiness, HR’s role vs executive ownership, and how smart budgeting turns “training as a luxury” into a line item that pays back.

If you lead people, or you are about to, this one is a masterclass on the people side of scaling a company.

• Why top performers stumble as first-time managers and how to prepare them before the role changes

• The real reason most companies underinvest in leadership, and how small, consistent actions create outsized ROI

• Delegation you will actually do, including a hands-off method that breaks perfectionism and builds trust

• Training is not a luxury, and how to make space for it without blowing up the calendar

• Who owns leadership development, and why “HR will handle it” sets everyone up to fail

• A better structure for accountability, including the practice of owning development two levels down

• Why performance reviews are the wrong place for development, and how to separate the two for real candor

• Promotion ≠ readiness. Leadership is a different job than execution. Treat it like one.

• Create space. Even thirty minutes of focused time with emerging leaders beats another frantic week of execution.

• Opt-in before mandate. Early volunteers become your proof points and culture carriers.

• Delegate for growth, not relief. Hands off the keyboard. Guide, do not grab. Expect a few messy reps, then compounding wins.

• Leaders own development. HR is a partner, not the owner. Executives must sponsor and model it.

• Own two levels down. Assign senior leaders responsibility for developing leaders beyond their direct reports.

• Split performance from development. If pay and ratings are on the table, candor is not.

Chapters

• Opening: Why promotions without preparation backfire

• The training gap and what the Army gets right

• Delegation, control, and breaking perfectionism

• Energy and time as real constraints for new managers

• Outdated leadership ideas we need to retire

• “What if we train them and they leave” and why that frame misses reality

• Who actually owns leadership development

• The two-levels-down model and how to use it

• Separate performance and development for honest growth

• Rapid wins any company can implement this quarter

Links and Next Steps

• Subscribe to Scale Without Chaos here on Spotify for more real stories and practical fixes. Leave us a review.

• Connect with Outsider Consulting and Jamey’s show Outsider Unscripted

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If this episode helped you, share it with a leader who was promoted yesterday and expected to lead today.