Stepping into a director role is not just a promotion—it’s a transformation. It requires more than adjusting your responsibilities; it asks you to become someone new, to grow into a broader and more strategic presence, and to lead in ways that may not yet feel natural. While it’s tempting to view this transition as a set of skills to acquire, what you’re stepping into is something deeper: a shift in how you see yourself, how others see you, and how you relate to the uncertainties of leadership.

To support this journey, it’s helpful to draw on the insights of two leadership thinkers: Linda Hill, who studied what happens when someone moves from being an expert to a manager, and Herminia Ibarra, who explored how leaders evolve from managing operations to leading strategically across an organisation. Though they focus on different transitions, together they describe the arc of what you’re going through—and why it can feel both exhilarating and unsettling.

Letting Go of What Made You Good

Most people who are promoted into senior roles have done well in their previous roles. You’ve likely been successful because of your expertise, your problem-solving ability, and your reliability. But part of the challenge now is that what made you effective before is not what will make you effective now.

Linda Hill observed that when experts become managers, they often struggle to let go of doing the work themselves. They know what good looks like, and it’s hard to trust others to meet those standards. The same is true at the director level, but it’s magnified: you may now be leading people who operate outside your domain of expertise, or influencing areas you don’t directly control. Your role becomes less about doing and more about creating the conditions in which others can succeed.

This can be disorienting. You may feel as though you’re not adding value in the way you once did. You may feel pressure to prove yourself, but it’s not always clear how. These are normal reactions. You’re in a liminal space—not quite who you were, not yet who you’re becoming.

The Experience of Not Knowing

Herminia Ibarra names this space directly: the unknown is not a problem to solve, but a reality to inhabit. As you move into a senior role, you step into complexity. You’re expected to think longer term, to lead across silos, and to represent the organisation in new ways. You may be asked to speak before you feel fully confident, to shape culture while you’re still finding your own footing.

And here’s the paradox: if you wait until you feel ready to act like a senior leader, you may never get there. Ibarra suggests that we don’t think our way into a new identity—we act our way into it. She encourages leaders to try on new ways of leading, even if they feel unfamiliar or ‘inauthentic’ at first. These provisional selves—temporary versions of you experimenting with new styles, perspectives, and networks—are how growth happens.

That feeling of discomfort is not a sign of failure. It’s a sign that you’re on the path of transformation.

Identity in Motion

What both Hill and Ibarra show is that leadership is not just something you do—it’s something you become. And becoming is rarely smooth. You may feel torn between the part of you that wants to hold onto control, and the part that recognises you need to let go. You may question whether you truly belong in this new space. You may feel moments of pride, quickly followed by waves of uncertainty.

This tension is part of the process. Hill describes how new managers often swing between over-control and withdrawal before they learn to lead. Ibarra adds that authenticity is not about clinging to the past, but about remaining open to who you’re becoming. In this view, identity isn’t fixed—it evolves through action, reflection, and meaningful relationships.

Relating Differently

As a director, your relationships change. You’re no longer just managing your team—you’re working across departments, aligning with peers, and influencing upwards. You’re expected to create vision, navigate politics, and embody values. These relational dynamics are subtle but significant.

Both Hill and Ibarra highlight how important it is to build new networks, especially with people outside your familiar circles. These relationships help you see things differently. They offer perspective. And they help you feel less alone in the complexity of senior leadership.

Navigating the Transition

This journey isn’t linear. It unfolds in fits and starts. You’ll try new approaches, reflect on what works and what doesn’t, adapt, and try again. You’ll experience moments of confidence and moments of doubt. This is what lived transition feels like.

Here are a few ways to support yourself during the process:

• Normalise the discomfort. Feeling unsure is part of the journey, not a detour from it.
• Experiment. Try out new ways of thinking and leading. You don’t have to lock into them permanently.
• Reflect in action. Pay attention to what’s resonating. Learn from the doing.
• Expand your network. Seek out new voices and perspectives to stretch your thinking.
• Reframe authenticity. It’s not about always feeling comfortable—it’s about growing into your future self.

Final Thoughts

You are not simply stepping into a new job—you are becoming a new version of yourself. This kind of transition is demanding, but it also opens the door to deeper growth, broader perspective, and more meaningful leadership.

Hill and Ibarra remind us that the path to becoming isn’t found in certainty, but in engagement with others, with experience, and with the unknown. Trust that through action, reflection, and relationship, you will not only find your way, but also help shape the path for others.