In this episode of The Manager Lab we challenge the habit of promoting top individual contributors into management by default. Management is a responsibility, not a reward, and requires a different mindset: coaching, delegation, and developing others.

We cover three executive takeaways—create parallel career tracks, prioritize motivation for people development, and redefine readiness—and offer practical tips for managers: shift identity to measure team success, hold regular development conversations, embrace difficult feedback, and prepare successors early.