leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs

Leadership Coaching For Newly Promoted VPs (How To Avoid All the Mistakes I Made)


Reading time: 6 minutes

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Leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs is really about one transition: going from being great at the work to becoming great at leading the people who do the work. Most new VPs were promoted because they were excellent in their function. That’s exactly why the transition can be so difficult. The habits that made them stand out as a Director — high personal output, deep involvement, being the expert in the room — can become liabilities at the VP level. The job has changed. Now the goal is to build systems, develop other leaders, make better decisions, and create an environment where the team can perform without you being involved in everything.

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Congratulations on the VP promotion.

Now for the bad news: everything that got you here won’t work at this level.

The moves that made you successful as a Director are actively hurting you as a VP. Your instincts are wrong. Your old patterns are showing up in new, expensive ways.

And you can feel it, even if you can’t name it.

What you first want to do is understand the difference between leadership coaching vs mentoring – because maybe you need one or the other. Or maybe you need both (which is what I do).

With that said, here’s what leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs actually does – and why leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs looks different than coaching at other levels.

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The VP Transition Nobody Talks About

What You Expected

  • More strategic work
  • Bigger decisions
  • Wider impact
  • Senior leadership credibility
  • Finally being taken seriously (I’m looking at all you women in leadership on this one)

What You Actually Got

  • Politics you didn’t see coming
  • Ambiguity without clear answers
  • Pressure from above and below
  • Decisions with incomplete information
  • Imposter syndrome at a new level

The disconnect:

You earned this role based on execution excellence. But VP-level success requires a completely different skill set: strategic thinking, organizational influence, executive presence, managing through others.

Nobody trained you for that transition. In fact, a lot the first-time manager patterns most likely started well before you’re reading this. They often start when you first become a manager. First-Time Manager Mistakes (And How To Avoid The Big One) digs into how siloed environments get build from day one.

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The Three Patterns That Kill Newly Promoted VPs

The reason leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs is important, is because of the patterns that appear time and time again. In fact, even though you may know these patterns are common, you will still probably not recognize when they emerge in you, until it’s too late. They happen in your blindspot.

Pattern 1: You’re Still Doing Director-Level Work

What it looks like:

  • Getting pulled into tactical execution
  • Reviewing your team’s work in detail
  • Making decisions your Directors should make
  • Staying up late fixing things yourself
  • Feeling most valuable when you’re “in the work”

Why it’s killing you:

Your success as a Director came from execution excellence. You were the person who got shit done. You were valuable because you delivered.

But at VP level, your value comes from:

  • Setting direction
  • Building capability in your Directors
  • Making strategic bets
  • Creating systems that work without you
  • Influence across the organization

If you’re still in the weeds, you’re failing at the VP job while succeeding at work that doesn’t matter anymore.

What leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs does:

Helps you see when you’re dropping down into Director-level work. Identifies why you do it (usually control, importance, or discomfort with ambiguity). Develops new patterns for adding value at VP level.

Pattern 2: You’re Managing Directors Like They’re Individual Contributors

What it looks like:

  • Weekly 1:1s that feel like status updates
  • Jumping in to solve their problems
  • Answering questions they should figure out themselves
  • Feeling frustrated they’re not as capable as you were
  • Training them directly instead of developing their judgment

Why it’s killing you:

Directors don’t need management. They need leadership.

The difference:

  • Management = Directing their work
  • Leadership = Developing their judgment

Your job isn’t to make them better at execution. It’s to make them better at leadership so they can develop THEIR teams.

What leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs does:

Helps you recognize when you’re micro-managing your Directors. Identifies the pattern (usually anxiety about their performance or your need to be needed). Teaches you how to stop micromanaging and to develop leaders instead of managing doers.

Pattern 3: You’re Optimizing for Being Liked Instead of Being Effective

What it looks like:

  • Avoiding hard conversations with your Directors
  • Not holding underperformers accountable
  • Saying yes to everything to keep people happy
  • Downplaying bad news to senior leadership
  • Wondering why your team isn’t delivering

Why it’s killing you:

At Director level, being liked helped. People wanted to work with you. They gave you discretionary effort. Relationships mattered.

At VP level, effectiveness matters more than likability.

You’re going to make decisions people don’t like. You’re going to have to let people go. You’re going to deliver bad news. You’re going to hold lines that create conflict.

If you’re optimizing for being liked, you’re failing at the VP job.

What leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs does:

Helps you see when you’re avoiding effectiveness for the sake of likability. Identifies why (usually fear of conflict or need for approval). Develops capacity to be both respected AND effective.

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These patterns show up across different leadership levels. Learn more: The Pattern Spotter: Why Leaders Repeat the Same Mistakes.

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What Leadership Coaching For Newly Promoted VPs Actually Addresses

Strategic Thinking (Not Just Execution)

The shift:
From “how do we execute this?” to “should we even be doing this?”

What coaching helps with:

  • Making strategic bets with incomplete information
  • Saying no to good ideas that aren’t the right ideas
  • Thinking in systems, not tasks
  • Playing 3-5 year games, not 3-month sprints

Strategic thinking at the VP level requires systems thinking – seeing patterns across the organization, not just within your function. That’s what leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs does.

Organizational Influence (Not Just Team Management)

The shift:
From “how do I get my team to perform?” to “how do I influence outcomes I don’t control?”

What leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs helps with:

  • Building alliances across the organization
  • Navigating politics without becoming political
  • Influencing peers who don’t report to you
  • Managing up to senior leadership effectively

Leading Through Others (Not Just Leading Directly)

The shift:
From “how do I develop my team?” to “how do I develop leaders who develop teams?”

What leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs helps with:

  • Letting your Directors make mistakes you could prevent
  • Building capability instead of solving problems
  • Creating systems that work without you
  • Developing judgment in your Directors

Executive Presence (Not Just Competence)

The shift:
From “I need to prove I’m competent” to “I need to demonstrate strategic judgment”

What leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs helps with:

  • Showing up differently in executive meetings
  • Communicating at the right altitude
  • Managing your own imposter syndrome
  • Building credibility with senior leadership

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As a side note, founders of growth companies with 30-100 employees tend to have similar challenges as newly promoted VPs. If you are a founder or work with one, you might want to explore leadership coaching for founders.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that coaching isn’t just for one person. In fact, senior leadership team coaching is becoming the most popular resource to drive company growth.

Why Most VPs Wait Too Long to Get a Coach

Reason 1: “I Should Be Able to Figure This Out”

You got promoted because you’re smart and capable. Asking for help feels like admitting you can’t handle it.

The truth:
The best executives all have coaches. Leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs isn’t a luxury – it’s standard practice at this level. It’s not a sign of weakness – it’s a sign of wisdom.

Reason 2: “I Don’t Have Time”

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs. You’re already working 60-hour weeks. Adding coaching feels like one more thing.

The truth:
You don’t have time NOT to. How much time are you wasting on things that aren’t working? Coaching creates time by helping you focus on what actually matters.

Reason 3: “I’m Not Sure It’s Worth the Investment”

Leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs costs $2,000-5,000/month. That feels expensive.

The truth:
One avoided mistake (bad hire, wrong strategy, missed opportunity) pays for the coaching 10x over. Plus, VP-level compensation growth makes this the best ROI investment you’ll ever make in your career.

Reason 4: “I’ll Do It When Things Calm Down”

Once you get through this quarter, or finish this project, or close this deal, THEN you’ll invest in development.

The truth:
You might be waiting for the right leadership development program to come along, but most leadership development programs fail to create lasting change. Besides, things never calm down. You’re either proactive about development or you’re reactive about damage control. One costs less. (Hint: leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs is the better choice)

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The VP-Level Coaching Engagement: What to Expect

You’ll be surprised at how quickly leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs becomes beneficial. There are usually “holy s**t, that’s me” moments in the first conversation. You’ll see your patterns quickly and be able to address issues faster than you think.

Months 1-3: Pattern Recognition

Focus: Identify the patterns that are limiting you at VP level. This is what makes leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs different from other leadership development – it addresses VP-specific patterns.

What you’ll work on:

  • Where you’re still operating at Director level
  • How you’re managing vs. leading your Directors
  • What you’re avoiding that you need to face
  • Your contribution to problems you’re blaming on others

What you’ll feel:

  • Exposed (in a good way)
  • Uncomfortable with what you see
  • Relieved someone finally gets it
  • Excited about what’s possible

Months 4-6: Behavior Change

Focus: Build new patterns that work at VP level.

At this stage, leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs focuses on application and refinement.

What you’ll work on:

  • Leading through your Directors instead of around them
  • Strategic thinking instead of tactical execution
  • Influencing across the organization
  • Managing your own triggers and reactions

What you’ll feel:

  • Awkward (new behaviors always feel awkward)
  • More confident in your VP role
  • Clear about what matters
  • Less overwhelmed, more strategic

Months 6-12: Integration

Focus: Make the new patterns stick

What you’ll work on:

  • Increasingly complex scenarios
  • Developing your Directors’ judgment
  • Building systems that scale
  • Preparing for your next level

What you’ll feel:

  • Confident you can handle VP-level challenges
  • Clear about your leadership identity
  • Ready to stop second-guessing yourself
  • Prepared for whatever comes next

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How to Choose the Right Coach as a New VP

Not every coach understands the what happens in your job. Not every coach truly understands how being an exceptional worker can hold you back. One of the most important things about leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs, is finding the right leadership coach that offers the right leadership coaching services.

Look for coaches who:

Understand the VP transition specifically

  • Specialize in leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs (not generic executive coaching)
  • They’ve been VPs themselves (or higher)
  • They can articulate the unique challenges at this level
  • They’ve coached other VPs through this transition

Have real business experience

  • Led teams at scale
  • Made strategic decisions with consequences
  • Navigated organizational politics
  • Built and developed leadership teams

Will challenge you, not just support you

  • Call out when you’re dropping to Director level
  • Push you to see your patterns
  • Hold you accountable for change
  • Care more about your effectiveness than your comfort

Red flags to avoid:

❌ They’ve never been at VP level themselves
❌ They treat all leaders the same way
❌ They focus on tactics instead of patterns
❌ They’re more interested in being liked than being effective
❌ They can’t articulate how VP leadership is different

→ Related: What Makes a Bad Leadership Coach (And How to Avoid Them)

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The Cost of Not Getting Coaching as a New VP

Let’s be honest about what happens if you don’t invest in development:

Scenario 1: You Fail

  • Can’t make the transition
  • Get moved back to Director
  • Lose credibility
  • Miss the next opportunity

Scenario 2: You Survive But Don’t Thrive

  • Stay at VP level but struggle
  • Work 70-hour weeks to compensate
  • Never feel confident in the role
  • Watch others get promoted past you

Scenario 3: You Figure It Out (Eventually)

  • Take 2-3 years to learn what coaching teaches in 6-12 months
  • Make expensive mistakes along the way
  • Develop some bad habits that stick
  • Still wonder what you’re missing

Or Option 4: You Invest in Coaching

  • Accelerate your learning curve
  • Avoid expensive mistakes
  • Develop patterns that work at VP level
  • Position yourself for the next promotion

The question isn’t whether you need help with this transition. The question is how much time and money you’re willing to waste figuring it out the hard way.

Leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs is the fastest way to accelerate through this transition without the expensive mistakes.

Understanding when to hire a leadership coach is just as important as knowing how to choose one.

For more on selecting the right coach: What Makes Bad Leadership Coaches (And How To Avoid Them).

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Ready to Actually Succeed as a VP?

Option 1: Join The Free Leadership Diagnostic Workshop
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Option 2: Take The Leadership Assessment
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Option 3: Start With Insights
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Don’t wait until you’re struggling. Leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs works best when it’s preventive, not reactive.

Most VPs wait 6-12 months before investing in leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs. The smart ones start on day one. Or before.

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Learn what happens once you start: How Leadership Coaching Works: A Behind-the-Scenes Look

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Frequently Asked Questions About Leadership Coaching For Newly Promoted VPs

Q: What should newly promoted VPs focus on first?

Don’t spend your first 90 days trying to prove how much you can produce. That’s usually the instinct, and it’s wrong. You get promoted, you’re excited, and you want everybody to know they made the right decision. So you start doing things. A lot of things. The better move is to understand the environment you just inherited. Where do decisions get stuck? Where does information stop flowing? Who’s really good? Who needs help? What problems has everyone learned to work around instead of solving? You need to understand the system before you start changing it. That may feel slower at first, but it usually isn’t. It’s much faster than spending six months fixing things you didn’t understand.

Q: Why do newly promoted VPs struggle with delegation?

Because being good at doing things is often exactly what got them promoted. For years, their identity was built around being the person who could figure things out. Then suddenly the job becomes figuring out how to get ten other people to figure things out. That’s a very different job. It’s more like a career change. Most new VPs intellectually understand that they need to delegate more. The problem comes when somebody does something differently, more slowly, or not quite as well as they would have. That’s when the instinct kicks in: “I’ll just do it.” And every time they do that, they reinforce the old identity. It’s a pattern. And patterns can change once you see them clearly.

Q: How long does it take for a newly promoted VP to become effective?

For a lot of newly promoted VPs, it takes somewhere around 9 to 18 months to really settle into the role. But there’s a big difference between people who spend that time learning how to be a VP and people who spend it doing their Director job with a bigger title. The people who make the transition faster tend to get candid feedback early. They learn where they’re still operating like the person they used to be instead of the leader the new role requires. That’s why outside perspective can be critically helpful during the transition. It’s really hard to see your own patterns while you’re inside them.

Q: What’s the biggest mistake newly promoted VPs make?

The most common mistake newly promoted VPs make is continuing to do the work instead of developing the people who should be doing it. They stay in execution mode because that’s what made them successful — and because watching someone else do something less well than they would is uncomfortable. Over time, they become the bottleneck. Their team stops developing judgment because they’ve learned the VP will handle the hard calls. Leadership coaching for newly promoted VPs addresses this pattern directly before it becomes an organizational problem.

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Jeff Matlow spots patterns for a living. Specifically, the ones keeping your team dependent on you – and the siloed environment those patterns create. Then he shows you how to rearchitect the whole thing into a greenhouse environment where people can actually excel. 3x entrepreneur (all companies acquired). 25+ years working with leaders at L’Oreal, Disney, Nestlé, Porsche, Citi and hundreds of high-growth companies. Think Ted Lasso meets Brené Brown meets a Navy SEAL.