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People · 11 August 2026 · 6 min
Your first manager: the most expensive hire you'll make
Promote your best doer and you lose a great doer and gain a weak manager. Here's how to avoid it.
The classic mistake is promoting the top performer. The two roles need different skills: one does the work, the other makes sure others do it.
What to check before you decide
- Does this person seek responsibility or avoid it?
- Can they give a colleague uncomfortable feedback?
- Are they genuinely pleased when someone else succeeds?
The first 90 days
Define which results they own, which decisions they can make without you, and which numbers they report weekly. Without that, your new manager just routes every decision back to you.
If every decision passes through you, you didn't hire a manager - you hired a courier.
About the author
Nikolay Kirilov
Nikolay Kirilov is an entrepreneur, business mentor and founder of NK Academy. He works across strategy, sales, operations and technology.
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