In Charge But In Over Your Head: The “Accidental” Executive

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Confidence is key for rising executives—whether they feel it or not. Find out how to believe in yourself when faced with an unexpected promotion to management. | SUCCESS

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A recent UK study notes 82% of new senior executives were promoted without proper training from their companies.

This circumstance established what the study calls the “accidental manager.” Recently-promoted individuals may find themselves plagued with newfound feelings of self-doubt. This experience is sometimes referred to as “imposter syndrome.” The study, by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), notes that “accidental managers” rise when managers and executives have no formal leadership and training. That scenario has a downbeat impact on company performance, CMI states, as ineffective managers “have a deep impact” on employees’ motivation, satisfaction, and probability of leaving the company.

Executives who know deep inside they’ve been promoted above their skill level fear losing the respect of employees and other executives and have to live with that secret. But they should know there is a way out.

Here’s a closer look at the accidental manager issue and some strategies company leaders can .deploy to turn their managers from accidental to excellent.

Management imposter syndrome is triggered by a career professional feeling like a fraud despite holding a leadership position.

“It’s not feeling capable enough, good enough, or worthy enough as if you’re an actor playing the part of a competent manager, but afraid at any moment the scene will stop and you’ll be exposed as a hack,” says David Morelli, co-founder and CEO of Owl Hub, an executive leadership development firm based in Tampa, Florida.

Morelli points to the common dream of feeling naked and embarrassed, where everyone is pointing at you and laughing.

“That’s imposter syndrome at its core: afraid of being found out and facing the ensuing ridicule,” he says. “When it comes to compensation, imposter syndrome is triggered by the negative difference between one’s self-worth and salary worth.”

A lack of career confidence can stem from comparing yourself to others or feeling like you’re in over your head.

“I’ve been in situations where I wondered if I was the right person to lead our brand strategy,” says Tiago Pita, brand and e-commerce director at Whole Food Earth in Kent, UK. “[I was] questioning if I truly had the experience to guide our next big moves. It’s a nagging feeling that maybe your success is just luck, not skill.”

As brand director, Pita says he’s seen that when stepping into a leadership role, it’s common to feel like you’re missing key skills.

“The truth is, nobody knows everything from the start. When I was first handed responsibility for our entire brand’s vision and message, I felt that fear. But what I realized is that everyone has gaps in their knowledge—that’s part of growing into the role. You don’t have to have it all figured out immediately; you just have to be willing to learn as you go.”

Career experts advise taking these steps to stabilize the situation and regain your management mojo.

“This is not a ‘you’ problem,” says Jill Mueller, vice president for training and learning experiences at Darcy Luoma Coaching & Consulting in Madison, Wisconsin. “Leadership skills take time and effort to improve. It doesn’t happen overnight.”

When focusing on growth opportunities, Olson advises new executives to identify transferable skills that can be used as a foundation for improvement and then find a path to strengthen those skills quickly.

“Consider a professional development course, finding a mentor, and listening to your team’s feedback about what and where they need support,” she says. “Confidence is a byproduct of knowledge and experience. The more opportunities you expose yourself to for those two things, the more confident you become.”

“When new leaders feel like they have no idea what they are doing…adopting a growth mindset is the difference between seeing the challenges they are dealing with as a personal failing and an opportunity to grow,” she adds.

Mueller also notes that if you are the only one in your organization asking for help, it can be very intimidating and maybe even seem impossible.

Instead, she says, if the “leader creates the expectation that we all have individual professional goals that we are working towards; habits we want to break or strengths we want to build upon—now we have an environment where it’s not a big deal when someone asks for support, but rather the norm for everyone on the team.”

“That’s the case even if you don’t yet have it in yourself,” says Eric McNulty, associate director of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University.“Give yourself credit for what they are seeing. You can also reflect on what you’ve done that has given the organization this confidence, as it’s easy to forget your own accomplishments.”

“In terms of asking others,” says McNulty, “it helps to reframe the role of manager/leader. A new leader might say somethink like this to their team: ‘My new role is not to have all the answers. It’s to create the conditions in which we all can contribute to the best of our abilities. So, I’ll be tapping into our collective experience, expertise, and wisdom.’ That simple statement takes some pressure off the new leader and opens the door for others to offer their thoughts.

“With management peers, a new company leader might say, ‘I have some thoughts about this situation, but I’d like to hear how you’d handle it.’ Both of these approaches help the new leader overcome the fear of vulnerability inherent in imposter syndrome,” McNulty says.

“Companies must invest in robust leadership development programs. A Bersin by Deloitte study shows that companies with comprehensive leadership training see a 29% increase in profitability over those that do not,” says Tim Peters, chief marketing officer at Enghouse Systems in Markham, Ontario. “Beyond technical skills, focus on emotional intelligence and soft skills is key, ensuring future leaders are equipped for the interpersonal challenges of managing larger teams and making strategic decisions under pressure.”

“One thing I’ve seen work well is giving people opportunities to lead smaller projects before promoting them to bigger roles,” he says. “That way, they can build confidence without the overwhelming pressure. We also provide mentorship and access to leadership workshops, which have been crucial for our team’s growth. Proper training and preparation are key to ensuring that when someone steps into a bigger role, they feel ready and supported.”

“Research from Stanford University suggests that the tipping point for executives often comes between six to 18 months in a new role, depending on the level of support they receive,” Peters says. “Executives tend to feel more confident once they’ve demonstrated measurable success, be it through project completion or achieving specific company targets,” he adds.

Growing more confident usually happens after you’ve gone through a few high-stakes challenges and come out the other side.

“For me, it was when we successfully rebranded a product line at Whole Food Earth,” Pita says. “There’s something about seeing the tangible results of your decisions and the positive feedback from your team that makes you realize, ‘Okay, I can do this.’

“Confidence builds gradually,” Pita adds. “And often it’s not until you’re in the thick of things, making decisions and solving problems, that you start to feel like you belong. It’s about proving to yourself that you can rise to the occasion.”

Photo by wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com

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