Promoted Not Prepared
You got the title. Nobody gave you the manual. Promoted Not Prepared is the show for first-time and emerging managers navigating the hardest transition in a career: From doing the work to leading and influencing the outcomes of the people who do it. Join Dr. Richard "Rick" Bull and Dr. Neil Ifill as they explore the unique challenges swirling in the hearts and minds of new or emerging managers.
Fill A Seat or Build A Bench: Uncomplicating Your First Hire
When a new manager hires their very first team member, they are often operating without the comfort of an established team dynamic. This makes the choice highly intentional—and highly revealing. Join Dr. Rick and Dr. Neil as they discuss a manager's first hiring experience and all the things they should consider.
When They Push Back: How to De-escalate Team Defensiveness Without Backing Down
First-time managers often face intense resistance, eyerolls, or behind-the-scenes escalation when giving feedback to defensive employees. This episode explores some of the science behind identity triggers. Dr. Rick and Dr. Neil offer a practical, high-standards framework to turn toxic hostility into constructive performance improvements.
Letting Go of the Code: Why You Can't Fix Everything Yourself Anymore
This episode tackles the often grueling psychological transition from top individual contributor to first-time manager. Dr. Rick and Dr. Neil unpack the cognitive biases that make us want to do the work ourselves and offer a concrete framework to stop saving the day and start building a team.
Lean In with Confidence: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as a New Manager
You get a sinking feeling in your stomach, and your pores raise, all because you think you don’t belong there. How is this possible? Why do you want to disappear? This is what Imposter Syndrome feels like. In this episode, co-hosts Dr. Rick and Dr. Neil dig into it. They offer useful tips that may help you understand yourself and move forward.
Do New Managers Really Need to be Trained?
Our first episode, where we unlock the key question that invites us to explore together: Do new leaders need to be trained? Join Dr. Neil and Dr. Rick as they share their (sometimes) conflicting opinions, reveal the stats, and expose new data on how leaders are developed in role (regardless of title, market, industry, or organizational function), unlocking the next chapter's success in your new leadership role.
