Welcome. I'm Sherry, a leadership coach and consultant for agency teams. I help managers lead with presence, not performance. After 20+ years working in PR agencies, I've watched talented managers struggle, not from lack of skill, but because they haven't been taught that while results matter, the most important part of being a leader is how you make people feel along the way.
I created The Present Leader for exactly this reason. It's a short, actionable newsletter for new managers navigating change, complexity, and growth. Each issue offers one insight, one real leadership story, and one simple tool you can put to use immediately.
In this first issue, I want to name something most new managers feel but rarely say out loud: You were promoted because you were excellent at the work. But nobody actually taught you how to lead people doing the work. That gap? It's not your fault. But it is your reality. Let’s dig in.
Insight: The Promotion Gap
Think about when you were promoted to manager.
You probably got there because you were exceptional at your job. You delivered great work, exceeded expectations, solved problems, earned trust.
And then one day, you were responsible for leading other people doing that same work.
But here’s what most agencies don’t always do effectively: actually prepare you for that shift.
There might have been a lunch-and-learn on “leadership fundamentals.” Maybe you joined the weekly Managers’ Meeting and received some coaching from your manager. But the truth is, most managers learn to lead the hard way, by making mistakes with real people, in real time.
The skills that got you promoted (executing brilliantly, moving fast, being decisive) can actually work against you when leading others. Because leadership isn’t about doing the work better than everyone else. It’s about creating the conditions for your team to do their best work.
Nobody tells you this before you get the title. And then you’re supposed to just… figure it out.
Real Leadership Story: When “Just Getting It Done” Breaks Trust
I worked with a new manager who was doing what they thought good managers do: keeping projects moving, providing direction, solving problems quickly.
Things were going well until a casual check-in about how to approach a piece of work. The manager overrode a team member’s idea with a quick, confident directive. The intent was to be efficient. The impact was that the team member felt dismissed, like their judgment wasn’t valued or trusted.
The manager had no idea.
The team member didn’t say anything in the moment. But they felt it. And it created a fracture.
Here’s what could have gone wrong: The team member stays quiet, resentment builds, trust erodes, and the manager never knows why their team feels distant.
Instead, the team member did something brave. They went to their own manager and said, “I need to address this, but I don’t know how.”
That manager called ahead: “My team member is going to invite you for coffee. They have feedback. Please be open to it, it’s important you understand the impact you’re having.”
The coffee conversation happened. They got on the same page. The relationship was repaired.
But here’s the real shift: the manager now realized they needed a new filter. I introduced them to a tool I use called The Family Test and now, before every interaction, they started asking themselves: “If this were my sister, how would I say this?”
Not softer. Not less direct. But with respect. With care.
Like they were talking to someone whose growth actually mattered to them.
That reframe changed everything.
Tool of the Week: The Family Test
While developing your leadership skills takes time and practice, you can shift how you show up today with one simple question that reminds you who you’re actually talking to.
Here’s the practice:
Before your next decision, conversation, or response to a team member, ask yourself: “If this were my sister (or brother, close friend, or someone I deeply care about), how would I handle this?”
Would you:
· Override their idea without asking, or trust their judgment and build on it?
· Focus on what they did wrong, or help them figure out what to do next?
This isn’t about being soft. It’s about being human.
Your team isn’t there to execute your vision perfectly. They’re there to grow, contribute, and do meaningful work. When you treat them like people you’re invested in, not just resources you’re managing, everything changes.
Try it this week. Pick one interaction and run it through the Family Test before you respond. Notice what shifts.
Question to Sit With This Week:
What do you wish someone had taught you before you became a manager? Write it down. Then ask yourself: What would change if you started leading from that wisdom now?
Got a leadership challenge? Email me at [email protected] and I’ll tackle it in a future issue of The Present Leader.