Making the Shift from Individual Contributor to Leader

Making the Shift from Individual Contributor to Leader

From HBR On Leadership by Harvard Business Review

April 22, 2026 · 38 min · Episode 158

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges and strategies for transitioning from an individual contributor to a leadership role.

Once you’ve committed to a leadership role—whether formally or informally—getting everyone else at work to buy in requires relationship management. The steps to transition from individual contributor to leader can seem daunting, especially when so many aspects of work and the world are in a constant state of flux. How do you successfully shift the role you’re playing on your team? What sorts of conversations help clear the way? Is this transformation harder to make if you work remotely? To address these questions and more, we revisit a 2019 Women at Work interview with leadership development experts Amy Jen Su and Muriel M. Wilkins.

People in this episode

Guests: Amy Jen Su, Muriel M. Wilkins

Topics covered

  • leadership
  • relationship management
  • individual contributor
  • team dynamics
  • remote work
  • transformation

Keywords

  • leadership transition
  • relationship management
  • team leadership
  • remote work challenges
  • conversations for change

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard Business Review

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