Rupert Picardo · Leadership · March 2026
Organisations usually describe the first-time manager problem as a skills gap — they need to learn to delegate, give feedback, run one-to-ones. Those skills matter. But the deeper problem is identity: the new manager's success was built on expertise, output, and control. Management rewards achieving outcomes through people you don't control, giving credit for work you didn't do, and having conversations nobody else will have.
Former peers
Managing people who were recently colleagues breaks a relationship pattern. The manager often avoids difficult feedback because the relationship feels too valuable to risk — which trains the team that accountability is optional.
What actually helps
Programmes that address the identity shift directly — with scenarios that produce real behaviour, not slide decks — outperform generic leadership modules. That's the design philosophy behind Tryitowl's first time manager programme.