The Three Common Leadership Traps Managers Fall Into (And Your Step-by-Step Action Plan to Escape Them)
- Eduard Lopez
- Jul 2
- 5 min read
Why do you think 60% of new managers underperform, and how to be in the successful 40%
When I was first promoted to manager, I thought I had it figured out. I was the expert, the problem-solver, the one everyone came to for answers. But within months, I found myself overwhelmed, my team disengaged, and our results disappointing. I had fallen into the three most common traps that derail new managers and I didn't even know it.
Research shows that 60% of managers underperform in their first two years. The reason? We're promoted for our expertise, not our leadership skills. The very abilities that got us promoted can become the barriers that prevent us from succeeding as leaders.
After years of coaching managers and leading teams myself, I've identified three critical traps that sabotage leadership effectiveness. More importantly, I've developed a practical action plan to help you escape them and build the high-performing team you've always wanted.
Trap #1: The Expertise Trap – When Being the Expert Becomes Your Weakness
The Problem:When you were promoted, you were likely the go-to expert in your field. It felt natural to keep solving problems yourself; it was faster, easier, and gave you a sense of control. But here's the paradox: the more you rely on your expertise, the less you're actually managing.
I learned this the hard way. In my first management role, I continued jumping into our system to pull reports and analyze data myself. It made me feel valuable and in control. But when our company switched to SAP and I refused the training (thinking I didn't need it), everything changed. Suddenly, I had to depend on my team. That's when I truly started leading.
The Hidden Cost:When you remain the expert, you become the bottleneck. Your team stops growing, stops thinking critically, and starts waiting for you to solve their problems. You're not building a team—you're building dependency.
The Solution:Shift from being the expert to being the enabler. Focus on coaching and developing your team's capabilities rather than showcasing your own.
Trap #2: The Results-Only Trap – Why "How" Matters as Much as "What"
The Problem:As a new manager, the pressure to prove yourself is intense. You focus obsessively on short-term results, believing that hitting targets is all that matters. But this narrow focus comes at a devastating cost.
I experienced this firsthand when I was promoted to oversee our most important customer operation during a crisis.
Unreasonable demands, unprepared processes, and tense relationships created the perfect storm. I devoted all my energy to reversing the results, helping my struggling team bail water from our sinking boat. But I neglected building deeper relationships, coaching my team, and developing critical alliances. The result? Burnout for everyone and a cycle of dysfunction that made it impossible to meet expectations.
The Hidden Cost:Focusing only on results creates unsustainable pressure, leads to team burnout, and prevents the relationship-building that drives long-term success. You might hit short-term targets, but you'll struggle to build a high-performing team.
The Solution:Balance results with relationships and well-being. The best managers, according to Google's Project Oxygen research, are those who coach their teams and balance performance with people.
Trap #3: The Relationship Trap – Treating People Like Machines Instead of Humans
The Problem:When you're laser-focused on tasks and results, it's easy to forget the human element. You treat team members as resources to be optimized rather than people to be understood and developed.
I once joined a multinational organization where everyone behaved "professionally", doing their jobs without emotion or genuine connection. People worked in silos, blamed each other for problems, and avoided difficult conversations. The executive team modeled the same behavior. In two years, my manager never asked a single personal question about my family, interests, or even how I was doing. The culture was cold, and performance suffered.
The Hidden Cost:Without personal connections, you can't truly motivate, develop, or support your team. Engagement plummets, innovation dies, and your best people eventually leave.
The Solution:Invest in genuine relationships. Research from Gallup shows that managers who build strong personal connections see higher engagement, better performance, and lower turnover.
Your 30-Day Action Plan.
Here's your step-by-step plan to escape these traps and become the leader your team needs:
Week 1: The Delegation Foundation
Day 1-2: List every task you currently do. Be honest—include everything.Day 3-4: Identify three tasks you could delegate. Choose one that's important but not critical to start with.Day 5-7: Teach that task to a team member. Set clear expectations, provide support, but let them own it.
Success Metric: By the end of week 1, you should have successfully delegated one task and feel comfortable letting your team member handle it.
Week 2: The Sustainability Shift
Day 8-9: Schedule a team meeting focused on sustainability, not just results.Day 10-11: Ask your team: "What could we do to make our work more sustainable?" Listen without judgment.Day 12-14: Choose one suggestion from your team and implement it. Communicate the change and your reasoning.
Success Metric: Your team should feel heard, and you should see at least one process improvement that reduces stress or increases efficiency.
Week 3: The Human Connection
Day 15-16: Review your upcoming one-on-ones. Plan to ask one personal question in each meeting.Day 17-21: In every team interaction, share something personal about yourself first (appropriate to the workplace). This models vulnerability and openness.
Success Metric: You should learn something new about each team member that has nothing to do with work.
Week 4: Integration and Momentum
Day 22-24: Delegate a second task, this time choosing something slightly more complex.Day 25-26: Ask your team for feedback on the changes you've made. What's working? What needs adjustment?Day 27-30: Create a simple "relationship tracker" for each team member, note what matters to them personally and professionally.
Success Metric: Your team should notice a positive change in your leadership style, and you should feel more connected to them as individuals.
The Long-Term Transformation: What Success Looks Like
When you successfully escape these traps, you'll notice:
Your team becomes more proactive instead of waiting for your direction
Stress levels decrease for both you and your team
Innovation increases as people feel safe to share ideas and take risks
Engagement soars because people feel valued as humans, not just employees
Results improve sustainably rather than through short-term heroics
The senior leaders I admired the most all had one thing in common: they focused on long-term, win-win outcomes. They invested in relationships, helped suppliers develop skills, and shared strategies for mutual success. These leaders built the most profitable, resilient businesses—not by squeezing for short-term gains, but by creating sustainable partnerships.
Your Next Step: Choose Your Starting Point
Don't try to implement everything at once. Choose the trap you recognize most in yourself:
If you're always the go-to problem solver: Start with Week 1's delegation plan
If you're constantly stressed about hitting targets: Begin with Week 2's sustainability focus
If you barely know your team as people: Jump into Week 3's relationship building
The key is to start small but be consistent. Leadership transformation doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen one conversation, one delegated task, and one genuine connection at a time.
Your challenge:
Pick one action from this plan and implement it this week. Then, share your experience with a colleague or mentor. Accountability accelerates growth.
Remember, the skills that got you promoted won't get you to the next level. But the skills you develop by escaping these traps will transform not just your career, but the lives and careers of everyone you lead.
What trap do you recognize most in your own leadership?
Eduard
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