📬 In This Week’s Issue:
Why middle managers are the hidden bottleneck in most organizations
A 5-part fix for managers who were promoted without a playbook
The right way to make performance reviews actually useful
Reader Q&A: “How do I lead if I wasn’t trained for it?”
A leadership challenge to reset your standard this week
Setting the Stage
Most managers aren’t underperforming because they don’t care.
They’re underperforming because they were never taught how to manage.
They got promoted for being great doers (sales reps, engineers, analysts) but then expected to lead with zero training.
And without realizing it, they become the bottleneck.
🔎 THE BIG INSIGHT
Doing and managing are two different skill sets.
Just because you were great at the work doesn’t mean you’re equipped to lead others doing it.
But leadership is learnable if you start with the right habits.
Here’s the 5-part fix to help managers level up fast:
1. Manage Them How They Want to Be Managed
Ditch the “golden rule.”
Learn what motivates each person on your team and adapt.
2. Lead by Example
Want your team to raise the bar? Show them what it looks like.
Model preparation, clarity, and consistency.
3. Block Time for Real Leadership
If you’re rushing through 1:1s or skipping follow-ups, you’re not leading, you’re surviving.
Make space for feedback, development, and coaching.
4. Ask for Anonymous Feedback
You can’t grow if you don’t know.
Create a simple way for your team to tell you what’s working and what’s not.
5. Use the 100/100/100 Rule
✅ 100% focus on what matters
✅ 100% consistency in execution
✅ 100% quality in delivery
Most managers do none of these consistently.
Top-tier leaders do all three without compromise.
📌 Takeaway:
If you were promoted without a playbook, you’re not alone.
But the good news? Leadership is a skill. And skills can be learned.
💬 READER QUESTION
Q: “I wasn’t really trained to lead… How do I catch up?”
Start by leading the way you wish you’d been led.
You don’t need a certification or a 300-page playbook.
You need presence, consistency, and a few core habits done really well.
Here’s where to begin:
Show up fully. Put your phone down. Listen with intent. Presence builds trust faster than advice.
Make 1:1s count. Don’t just check in… coach them. Ask where they’re stuck and how you can help unblock them.
Ask more than you tell. Shift from solving problems to helping your team solve them on their own.
Leadership isn’t about having the perfect answer.
It’s about creating space for the right work to happen.
You build it through reps, and that starts this week.
~ Chad Todd
This week, pick one leadership habit you’ve been neglecting (1:1s, coaching, follow-ups) and re-commit to it fully. One consistent habit can unlock 10x trust and performance.
