From Doer to Leader: Practical Strategies for Supporting Frontline Supervisors

screenshot of panelists on the January Workforce Wednesday session on Teams

Promoting great employees is easy. Setting them up to succeed as supervisors? That’s the hard part.

Frontline leadership is where retention, culture, and performance are won—or lost. Supervisors are the heartbeat of engagement, and when they struggle, the entire team feels it. Yet, 60% of first-time leaders receive no formal training. Think about that. We’re asking people to make one of the biggest career transitions—moving from doing the work to leading the work—without the tools to succeed.

In the January 2026 Workforce Wednesday session, South Central and Southeast Minnesota Regional Workforce Strategy Consultant Becky Zoubek led a discussion about simple, practical strategies employers can use right away to build strong frontline leaders.

Expert panelists on the January Workforce Wednesday were:

Julie Kiehne – Business Outreach Coordinator, Winona State University
Kurt Bear – Business Development Consultant, Enterprise Minnesota
Jayme Enamorado – Training & Development Supervisor, Christensen Farms

Below is a summary of key themes that surfaced during January's From Doer to Leader: Practical Strategies for Supporting Frontline Supervisors Workforce Wednesday session.

Why Frontline Leadership Matters

Engaged supervisors drive productivity, safety, and morale. Gallup research shows engaged teams deliver 21% higher profitability, and SHRM points to career growth as the top driver of job satisfaction. On the flip side, turnover is expensive—replacing a supervisor can cost 50–150% of their annual salary.

Building strong frontline leaders isn’t optional. It’s one of the most powerful retention and performance strategies you can invest in.

The Common Challenges New Supervisors Face

Most supervisors are promoted for technical skill, not leadership readiness. That transition requires a mindset shift—and it’s tough. Common challenges include:

Developing a leader’s mindset: Moving from peer to leader, learning to coach and delegate.
Managing former peers: Balancing authority, trust, and past relationships.
Bridging skill gaps: Strengthening communication, feedback, and conflict resolution.
Lack of support systems: Limited onboarding, mentoring, and clear expectations.

The good news? These challenges are predictable—and absolutely addressable.

Practical Employer Strategies That Work

Here are five strategies employers across Minnesota are using to move the needle:

Structured onboarding focused on leadership—not just paperwork.
Mentorship or buddy programs so new supervisors aren’t figuring it out alone.
Peer roundtables for sharing challenges and solutions.
Short, targeted microlearning—even 15–30 minutes on topics like feedback or delegation.
Toolkits and regular check-ins for goal setting and coaching.

These aren’t expensive—they require intention more than budget. Small, consistent actions beat one-and-done training every time.

Leadership Behaviors That Hold Teams Together

Strong supervisors consistently:

Set clear expectations and reinforce them through one-on-ones.
Build trust through fairness, dependability, and transparency.
Address conflict early and professionally.
Recognize positive behaviors and model the standards they expect.
Stay calm under pressure—emotional control is contagious.

When supervisors get these right, they can hold a team together even in tough environments.

Three Things You Can Do This Month

If you take nothing else from this, start here:

Clarify expectations: Have a 30-minute conversation with each frontline supervisor about top priorities and what success looks like in Q1.
Add one simple support: Pilot a buddy system, monthly huddle, or one-on-one template.
Plan one skill boost: Choose a skill—often feedback or difficult conversations—and line up a short training or practice session before the end of the quarter.

Bottom Line

Frontline leadership success starts before the promotion. Small, consistent development beats one-time training. Clear expectations and supportive coaching make the doer-to-leader transition manageable—and simple structures reduce burnout and turnover.

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