126. It Was All Good Until the New Manager Got Promoted: How the Peter Principle Is Killing Teams

I hear it constantly in my coaching work:

“It was great here… until my coworker got promoted.”

In this episode, we explore one of the most common—and costly—mistakes organizations make: promoting top performers into leadership roles without ever testing their ability to lead.

It’s the real-world version of The Peter Principle—and it’s still quietly wrecking teams decades later.

We talk about:

• Why companies confuse performance with leadership
• How “reward promotions” create disengagement and turnover
• What actually happens when the wrong person gets power
• And why most organizations act surprised when it all falls apart

Then, I share five practical ways companies can test for leadership before making the promotion—so they stop gambling with their culture.

If you’ve ever thought, “This place used to be great…”
This episode is for you.