From Star Contributor to Team Leader: The Hidden Skill Gap

Happy Wednesday!

Welcome to Leadership Unscripted. Each edition, we share 1 Case Study, 1 Framework, 1 Question. These are real moments and practical strategies for rethinking your approach to leadership.

Let’s dive in.

Kayla didn’t just meet expectations—she crushed them.

She was the person leadership leaned on during crunch time. The one who volunteered for stretch projects. The name that always came up in succession planning.

So when a team lead role opened up, she got the tap.

But within weeks, the cracks showed.

She stayed late fixing others’ work instead of coaching them through it. She reworked team deliverables without explanation. And when her skip-level manager asked how things were going, she smiled and said, “Great—just juggling a lot.”

In coaching, the story broke open.

Kayla didn’t think she was failing.
She thought she was proving herself.

To her, doing more meant leading better. But her team felt sidelined.
They were confused about their role. Unclear on expectations.
And they weren’t learning—because Kayla never gave them space to.

Once she saw the pattern, the shift began.

She started giving clearer direction and stepping back.
She replaced fixing with feedback.
And she began measuring success not by how much she did—but by how much her team grew.

That’s when things changed.

Ownership increased. Collaboration improved.
And for the first time in weeks, she didn’t feel like she was carrying the weight alone.

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1 Framework

The 5 C’s of Effective Leadership

Here’s the truth: what makes someone a great contributor can block them from being an impactful leader—unless they learn these 5 shifts:

Communication: Say what matters, early and clearly.

Collaboration: Let others shape the solution—not just implement yours.

Commitment: Model what accountability looks like.

Curiosity: Ask first. Then listen deeply.

Change: Leading means growing—especially in how you let go.

This model gives rising leaders the mindset and behaviors to step up and bring others with them.

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1 Question

Becoming a leader means trading personal wins for team growth. 👉 Which of the 5 C’s is the hardest to practice right now? And what might shift if you leaned into it?

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Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

Think back to your first leadership role.
What did you have to unlearn about being “the best”?
What would you tell your younger self, or someone stepping into leadership for the first time?

Reply and share what supported you in moving from contributor to leader.

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More to Explore

We work with growing managers every day through our Drive. Leadership Academy.
If your team has high-potential leaders who are ready to level up (but are still clinging to the do-it-yourself mindset), this is the place.

Explore Drive →

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Real Stories. Real Tools. Real Impact.

Forget the fluff. We’re that company, revealing behind-the-scenes leadership wins and strategies that actually work.

Because all it takes is one bold move to shatter barriers, inspire your team, and make your mark.