How Universities Can Develop Managers Promoted from Specialist Roles

Why promoting talented specialists isn't enough

Universities rely on highly skilled people. From academic researchers and lecturers to finance, HR, IT and student services professionals, specialist expertise keeps institutions running.

But when a talented specialist is promoted into a management role, a new challenge emerges: being excellent at a job and being able to lead the people doing it are two very different skill sets.

A newly appointed manager might understand their department inside out but have little experience of delegating work, managing performance, resolving conflict or supporting colleagues through change. Without the right development, they can end up trying to do their old job while struggling to adapt to their new responsibilities.

For universities navigating financial pressures, organisational change and evolving student expectations, developing confident, capable managers is increasingly important.

The question is not simply how to identify future leaders, but how to equip them to succeed once they step into management.

Why do specialists struggle when they become managers?

Promotion often recognises technical expertise, academic achievement or a strong track record. These are valuable qualities, but they do not automatically translate into effective people management.

New managers may face several challenges:

• Letting go of doing everything themselves. Specialists are accustomed to solving problems personally. Managers must learn to delegate, build trust and develop others.
• Having difficult conversations. Addressing underperformance, managing disagreements and giving constructive feedback require skills that technical expertise alone cannot provide.
• Managing former peers. Becoming responsible for colleagues who were previously equals can change relationships and create uncertainty around authority and expectations.
• Balancing competing priorities. Managers must consider team capacity, institutional objectives, budgets and individual wellbeing, often simultaneously.
• Leading through uncertainty. Organisational restructuring, policy changes and new technology demand clear communication, adaptability and resilience.

These challenges can affect both individual confidence and team performance. They also highlight why management development should begin before, or as soon as, someone takes on leadership responsibilities.

What does the evidence say about leadership development in higher education?

Leadership development is a recognised priority across the higher education sector.

Advance HE's Leadership Survey for Higher Education (2023) highlighted the importance of reflection in effective leadership. While 99% of surveyed leaders considered time for reflection important, only 44% had time to reflect weekly. The research also identified adaptability, credibility, collaboration and self-reflection among the key skills leaders wanted to develop.

These findings point to a practical challenge: managers need opportunities to step back from day-to-day demands, reflect on their approach and develop the skills required to lead effectively.

Read Advance HE's Framework for Leading in Higher Education.

For universities, this means leadership development should be more than a one-off induction or an optional course. It needs to be an ongoing part of how the institution supports its people.

5 ways universities can develop managers promoted from specialist roles

1. Introduce management training early

New managers should not have to learn everything through trial and error.

A structured development programme can help them understand the difference between individual contribution and people leadership, giving them practical tools they can apply from the outset.

Core topics should include:

• Delegation and accountability
• Setting expectations and managing performance
• Giving feedback and holding difficult conversations
• Motivating and developing team members
• Managing workloads and competing priorities
• Communication, emotional intelligence and self-awareness

Training should be relevant to the manager's responsibilities and experience. Someone leading a small administrative team may have different development needs from a newly appointed head of department.

2. Make learning practical, not just theoretical

Understanding leadership principles is one thing; applying them in a challenging conversation on Monday morning is another.

Universities should prioritise development that allows managers to practise new skills in a supportive environment.

Role-play, realistic scenarios, group discussion and problem-solving exercises can help participants work through situations they are likely to encounter, such as addressing poor performance, managing competing expectations or resolving team disagreements.

This also gives new managers the opportunity to make mistakes, receive feedback and build confidence before facing similar situations at work.

3. Help managers navigate the transition from colleague to leader

For specialists promoted within their existing teams, the interpersonal side of management can be particularly challenging.

They may need to establish new boundaries, delegate responsibilities to former peers and manage relationships where expectations have changed.

Universities can support this transition through coaching, mentoring and peer learning groups, alongside formal training.

Experienced managers can share practical advice, while peer networks give new leaders a space to discuss challenges and learn from others facing similar situations.

The aim is not to prescribe a single leadership style, but to help new managers develop an approach that feels authentic while meeting the needs of their teams.

4. Build leadership development into everyday work

A training session can introduce useful techniques, but lasting improvement depends on how those techniques are applied afterwards.

Managers should be encouraged to set specific development goals, practise new approaches and discuss their progress with their own line managers.

For example, after a session on delegation, a new manager might identify two responsibilities they can hand over, agree clear expectations with colleagues and review what worked during their next one-to-one.

Regular check-ins, reflective practice and feedback can reinforce learning and help managers recognise where they need further support.

This is particularly important in busy university environments, where operational demands can easily push development down the priority list.

5. Tailor development to the university's context

Universities have distinctive management challenges. Academic departments, research teams and professional services functions operate in different ways, with different pressures, cultures and responsibilities.

A generic leadership programme may cover useful fundamentals, but it might not fully address the situations managers face within their own institution.

Tailored management training can connect core leadership skills to real workplace scenarios, whether that means managing academic teams, improving collaboration between departments, supporting staff through restructuring or responding to changing student needs.

Universities can also use feedback from managers, staff surveys and performance reviews to identify common development gaps and shape future training accordingly.

This makes leadership development more relevant to participants and helps institutions align individual learning with wider organisational priorities.

How can universities measure the impact of management training?

Attendance and completion rates can show whether people have participated in training, but they do not necessarily demonstrate whether it has made a difference.

Universities should consider measuring impact at three levels:

Individual: Are managers more confident in their responsibilities? Are they applying new techniques in delegation, feedback and performance management?

Team: Are communication, collaboration and clarity of expectations improving? Do staff feel better supported by their managers?

Institutional: Is leadership capability improving across departments? Are development opportunities helping build a stronger pipeline of future leaders?

Short post-training surveys, follow-up discussions, manager feedback and staff engagement data can all provide useful evidence.

Where possible, establish a baseline before training and revisit the same measures after an appropriate period. This makes it easier to identify progress, understand what is working and refine future programmes.

Developing better managers starts with supporting the transition

Promoting a specialist into management should be the beginning of a development journey, not the end of one.

Universities that invest in practical training, mentoring and ongoing support can help new managers make the transition with greater confidence. They can also strengthen the skills needed to develop their teams, navigate change and contribute to institutional priorities.

Ultimately, the goal is not simply to promote talented people, but to help them become effective leaders.

By treating management capability as a skill that can be developed, rather than something that comes automatically with promotion, universities can give their people a stronger foundation for success.

Give your new managers the skills to succeed

ModernGov delivers tailored leadership and management training designed around your organisation's priorities, challenges and people.

Whether you're supporting first-time managers, developing future leaders or strengthening management capability across professional services, our training can be adapted to your team's needs.

Enquire about tailored management training to discuss how we can support your university.