Noel Massie Releases 'Congrats! You've Been Promoted' – An Essential Guide for New Leaders and Teams
Brainz Magazine Exclusive Interview
A promotion can open the door to leadership, but it does not automatically prepare you to lead. The journey from being a high performer to becoming an effective leader requires new skills, self-awareness, and a commitment to helping others grow.
In this interview, Noel Massie, author and speaker, shares lessons from his decades of experience at UPS, where he guided large teams and supported the development of future leaders. Drawing from his book, "Congrats! You’ve Been Promoted", Noel explores the challenges of stepping into leadership, the importance of intentional growth, and why human connection remains essential in a workplace shaped by artificial intelligence.
Noel L Massie, Author & Speaker
What inspired you to write "Congrats! You’ve Been Promoted"? Was there a specific moment or experience in your career that made you realize this book needed to be written?
As Vice President of U.S. Delivery Operations for UPS in 2016, I would travel the entire country, meeting with business unit leaders. During these visits, I made it a practice to hold roundtable discussions with frontline leadership teams. It was apparent that the predicted baby boomer retirement tsunami was in full force. Companies were promoting managers and supervisors at a rapid pace to fill the gap, but their capacity to train and develop new promotees within their first year was a challenge. The first year is the most critical when developing young leaders; more sink than swim.
Organizations typically promote their best workers into frontline leadership positions. When one of them resigns due to the stresses of the position, two bad things happen: you lose a great employee, and you also have to train and develop someone all over again. Getting engaged in developing young talent pays enormous dividends. It sets the tone for how they will value developing themselves, as well as others, throughout their entire career. You give to others what you have been given.
Many people are promoted because they're great at their jobs, not necessarily because they've been trained to lead. Why do you think this transition is so challenging, and what are the biggest mistakes new leaders tend to make?
It is normal for organizations to promote the most diligent employees into leadership positions. The hardest working, most reliable workers set a great tone for others. Their promotion telegraphs to employees what good looks like. While this is important, it is only part of the equation that should be used to assess who will be a strong leader. Leadership, while not rocket science, “is a science” that should be respected in the same fashion we respect the skills needed for any professional position.
Leadership is “The ability to influence the behavior of an individual or group of people without coercion.” The biggest mistake new leaders make is failing to prepare themselves for their new role. Business owners and executives feed this error by failing to insist on a behavior-based development plan for the first year.
I promoted hundreds of leaders during my career, not just new ones, and there were patterns. Most start out wanting to establish that they were the boss. They would then spend more time with reports than with people. These are mistakes I would make knowing their people individually a requirement. What is everyone on their team good at? What skills do they need training on? All leaders, and particularly new ones, must understand some key principles, such as: People produce results, not reports. People work for people, not companies. When leaders engage daily with team members to develop them, employees get better. Leaders were not promoted to be human memos.
Leadership development has changed significantly over the years. Where do you think the field stands today, and what do organizations still get wrong when it comes to developing strong leaders?
I led through six decades, from the late 70s to the 2020s, and leadership approaches and principles were ever-changing. There were always new data and techniques being introduced. Today, the biggest threat to investing in leadership development is the idea that AI will replace the need for physical leadership. When a toilet needs to be replaced in a home, AI will not be replacing it; a human being will. The same goes for the roof on a house or a flat tire on the side of the road. Someone will always need to get up and make the donuts. Someone will always be needed to deliver packages. Where more than one person is involved in an enterprise, there will be a leader.
As such, effective skills to train and develop employees will be needed. Skills associated with conflict resolution, delivering professional daily messages, and providing motivational and formative feedback will be critical. Training must be available in these areas; if not, failure rates and company results will reflect this absence.
Your book challenges some traditional ideas about leadership. Were there any widely accepted leadership beliefs that you intentionally wanted to question or rethink?
My book challenges the idea that leadership training is reserved for high level and C-suite executives. Culture is created at the top; it is executed at the bottom. However, it must be intentionally created. If it’s allowed to create itself, it will. Leaders own culture cultivation, period. Culture is built at the top; it’s executed at the bottom. Organizations that value integrity and ethics make it visibly clear from the top; it’s not the plaque on the wall, it’s who we are. It’s a regular, intentional part of the daily language from the top.
I would make it a habit to go on the floor and have discussions with the frontline leaders and their employees. A question they knew I would ask was this: How often should you do that right thing? Employees always answer, “All the time.” By doing this, I made it clear to all managers and employees what our values and intentions were to be daily.
Artificial intelligence is transforming the workplace at a rapid pace. How do you see AI influencing leadership development, and where do you believe human leadership will always remain irreplaceable?
As I mentioned earlier in this interview, AI “will not” become who leads the plumber, electrician, or body shop employee. AI can be a useful tool to train employees in various ways using simulations. At UPS, we had been using simulations for the last decade or so, and AI has enhanced this ability. AI will be impactful in replacing white collar professional positions. Software engineers are feeling this now as AI can write code. Financial advisors and CPAs will be impacted as well, to what degree has yet to clearly reveal itself. Thought based professions are where AI will emerge in a prominent way. Leadership skills will be a premium talent, particularly in the trades and union based environments. Will there be a human less society? That’s pure speculation. That’s not the case today, and we are discussing the here and now.
Looking ahead, what qualities do you think will define the most successful leaders over the next five to ten years?
Adaptable leaders will always be the most sought after. As a president of a business unit, when we developed talent, we actively sought and valued adaptable individuals highly. Everyone can learn technical skills; there are lots of smart people out there. Those who stay current with society’s trends (think driverless cars) and keep their skills aligned will stand out. The ability to communicate effectively cannot be overstated as a necessary talent. Successful leaders will be excellent communicators.
If a newly promoted manager could apply just one lesson from your book immediately, what would you hope it would be, and why?
The strongest principle in the book is the B.E.S.T. Principle. It is like the frame around a picture. All of the techniques I teach in the book sit inside the B.E.S.T. Principle. It guides all engagements a leader will have with their team, whether it is a performance review, a training session, or a spontaneous flare-up. This principle, when used, gives the leader an approach that will be effective in these scenarios. It states in any discussion:
Examples:
B. Be clear: Always state “exactly” the nature of the discussion. Concise statements, less is more.
Daryl, we are here today so I can train you to drive a forklift. There are 37 steps you must demonstrate to be certified. When we are done, you must know them all.
E. Expect the best: When engaging an employee, begin by stating the confidence you have in the person. Enhance their self-esteem.
Daryl, I know you have waited quite a while for this opportunity. I know you’ll apply yourself 100% to this. You’ll do great!
S. Stick to the objective: Stay focused on the task at hand.
Daryl, we will only focus on this training until you are certified. When other topics come up, move the engagement back to where it belongs.
T. Test Commitment: Once any engagement is complete, a verbal commitment to use the skills or change the behavior is required.
Daryl, you have completed the training. Do I have your commitment to use these skills as learned daily?
In the feedback I have received over the last year from seminars and readers, the B.E.S.T. is consistently mentioned as the most valuable technique they learned.
What do you hope both individual leaders and organizations will take away after reading "Congrats! You’ve Been Promoted", and what kind of impact would you like the book to have on the future of leadership?
I want anyone who reads the book to come away with a few things. Number one, that being an effective leader takes skill. Anything you want to be good at, you practice it regularly. Leadership is no different.
"You can’t hope to get more than you give."
Don’t give it anything, then why should you be effective? Number two,
"There are no casual moments in leadership."
Because, there aren’t. A leader’s actions are always being evaluated. Your employees see what you do and who you talk to the most. Leaders don’t get to have favorites, for example. Leadership is not a promotion; it’s a responsibility.
