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Congratulations! You Promoted Them… But Did You Prepare Them?
- Nicole F. Smith, M.Ed. (CEO/Founder)
- Nov 8
- 4 min read
The Hidden Cost of Untrained Leaders
I want to tell you what breaks my heart as someone who’s worked alongside incredible HR and L&D professionals for years:
We see potential in someone, we promote them, we celebrate them—and then, months later, we watch them struggle.
Leaders do not fail because they’re incapable. But because no one prepared them for the emotional weight of leadership.
The late-night self-doubt.The awkward first tough conversation.The silence in team meetings when they realize people are now looking at them for direction.
That moment — the one where confidence starts to crumble — is when the damage begins.
And for organizations, the cost is massive.
The Logical Reality
60% of new managers fail within 24 months because they were never trained to lead. (Gartner)
Teams led by untrained managers experience 50% lower engagement and higher turnover. (Gallup)
Disengagement alone costs organizations up to 34% of an employee’s annual salary. (Gallup)
When we promote without preparing, we don’t just risk performance.We risk trust, morale, and culture—the very foundation of every healthy organization.
The Shift HR Needs to Lead
What if readiness became the new requirement for promotion?
That’s what I help organizations build through the EQ Impact® Framework—equipping emerging leaders with self-awareness, communication tools, and emotional mastery before the title comes.
Because when you develop leaders early:
They communicate clearly instead of defensively.
They manage conflict with empathy instead of avoidance.
They inspire trust instead of demanding compliance.
Technical excellence gets the promotion. Emotional intelligence sustains it.
The Ask
So, I’ll ask you—How many of your leaders were promoted for what they could do, not how they could lead?
And what would change if you built readiness into the process before the first crisis?
If you’re ready to prepare leaders instead of repairing them, let’s talk about how EQ Impact® can help you build a culture of trust where leadership growth starts early and lasts longer.
“When you prepare leaders emotionally, you protect your culture strategically.”— Nicole F. Smith
I highly encourage you to pass this along to your peer, colleague, your HR leadership, or manager. I can guarantee that this will resonate with them. How many times did you nod or shake your head as your were reading.
📘 My New Book Is Here!
Did you know that EQ makes your IQ shine? My books helps you walk your emotionally brilliant journey. Let's go!
20 Golden Leadership Nuggets | Refined by EQ Impact®. This book isn’t just another leadership guide. It’s a collection of lessons I’ve lived, refined, and taught — designed to help leaders pause, reset, and lead with impact in today’s noisy, uncertain world.
💡 Why I Re-Wrote This Book
Years ago, as an HR Director, I had a breaking point. Frustrated and unheard, I unleashed on a colleague. I call him an A$$. (Well, he was one honestly.) BUT, that moment became the wake-up call: leadership isn’t just strategy or title. Leadership is emotional.
For years, I watched talented leaders burn out or lose influence because no one ever taught them to manage the emotional side of leadership. This book is my answer to that gap.
It was written in just 90 days — not because I rushed, but because I leaned into the pause. The same pause I now teach leaders to use when emotions run high.
“Awareness is not passive. It’s the choice to look in the mirror and ask: Who am I in this moment, and is this who I want to be as a leader?”
That’s why I re-wrote this book — to give leaders the courage to be self-aware, the discipline to master their emotions, and the wisdom to build legacies that last. I took my #1 best seller and tore it up....ripped it apart, and added in my EQ Impact Framework with such clarity and discipline. My focus was very different this time around.
I felt, it was time to put our legacies in MOTION. Do not wait to leave wondering if you made an impact. Walk away KNOWING you left an impact. That's legacy in motion.
“Leaders don’t earn respect by being the fastest to speak. They earn respect by choosing the moment that will have the greatest impact.”
🤖 AI + EQ = The Future of Leadership
🔥I am diving more into AI and I love it! I cannot wait for you to meet some new team members that will help me market my message to the masses with clarity.
Stay tuned!
📌 Next Step for You - Push a button...any button!
📘 Grab your copy of 20 Golden Leadership Nuggets | Refined by EQ Impact®
I do accommodate bulk orders! So get copies for your team and maybe we can gather for a quick Q&A or webinar! And, yes, I am available for book club discussions. There are reflection questions in the back of the book! Help me get to 2000 books by March 31, 2026!
OH! We are on Amazon if that is your jam and want it the next day.
👥 Bring the EQ Impact® Framework to your team through coaching, workshops, or speaking engagement. I will support you and your team through all the chaos and crisis taking place right now and in the future.
Thank you for being part of this journey with me. This isn’t just my story — it’s ours.
Together, we’re building leaders, including yourself, to lead with courage, compassion, and emotional brilliance.
Want to set up some time? Let's talk: Click here!
Leaders choose to work with me and my team because we don’t just talk strategy—we build emotionally intelligent leaders who lead with clarity, presence, and purpose.
You're receiving this email because you’re not interested in performing leadership. You’re here to practice it.
You booked a call, joined an event, or signed up because something in you said, it’s time to lead differently. You’re ready to create a life and business rooted in who you are—not in outdated rules or titles that never fit. And we’re here to help you do exactly that—with emotional intelligence at the center.
