The other day, I spoke with a wall and ceiling contractor who had just promoted a 26-year-old to foreperson. This person had been hanging board for five years. “The person was solid,” the contractor said. “Leads by example.”
The promotion came earlier than expected, the contractor said. Talent was in short supply, and no one else was ready to step up.
Certainly, the case is not unique. With older leaders in our industry retiring, and younger ones moving up through the ranks rather quickly, many crew leaders, superintendents and project managers are being tapped to lead when they’re still learning the ropes. Sometimes, it shows.
According to “Understanding the Leadership Challenges of First-Time Managers,” a white paper by William A. Gentry, Paige Logan and Scott Tonidandel for the Center for Creative Leadership, 59% of new managers struggle to assert authority. About 60% have never received any formal leadership training.
In our trade, that kind of gap may cause problems.
From Crew to Command
Moving from the board hanger to crew lead is a big leap. One day you’re one of the crew, framing soffits and cracking jokes. The next day, you’re assigning tasks, watching the clock and handling problems that can easily overwhelm.
That transition—from peer to supervisor—is where many first-time managers stumble. Some overcorrect. They start micromanaging everything. Others under correct and try to stay everyone’s buddy. The successful leader learns to find balance. They set expectations, enforce them fairly and recognize that being “the boss” means making a few unpopular calls.
A new crew leader once told me, “I don’t want to be that person who throws their weight around.” But one day when productivity slipped, they raised their voice. The crew noticed—and not in a good way.
Another common trap for new leads is taking on too much. It’s understandable. They got promoted because they’re reliable. But instead of delegating, they end up doing work for others. One project manager that I know said it best about the role of a crew leader: “You’re not here to be a hero. You’re here to build a team.”
Delegating is hard. Especially when you know you can do the task faster or better. But that’s not scalable. And it doesn’t develop your people. When new crew leaders learn to step back—not disappear but truly hand off work—they start building something that lasts. That’s right, give credit. Share the spotlight. Bring your crew along when you meet with the execs.
One key to upward mobility is making yourself replaceable—by developing the people around you, writes Harry M. Kraemer, clinical professor of management and organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, in the article, “How First-Time Managers Can Make the Successful Jump to Leadership.” That way, when it’s time for your next step up, no one’s wondering who will take your place.
A Leadership Pipeline
So, what can company leaders do? Don’t just throw a hard worker into a leadership role without guidance. Offer mentoring. Recognizing that promoting someone early in their career means they’ll need more support, not less.
One superintendent I know runs monthly roundtables with new leads. They talk shop. They swap stories. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s kept a lot of people on track.
We all want to build the next generation of leaders. But that doesn’t happen by accident. It takes intention, structure and an honest look at how we develop people.
In other words, create a “leadership pipeline,” says Gentry and fellow co-authors. If you invest in that pipeline, talented people will stick around. They’ll grow. They’ll mentor the next wave of leaders. And your business—and our trade—will keep moving forward.
