Building a Bench: How New and Emerging Managers Strengthen Their Teams
If you’re a new manager, middle manager, or emerging leader, there’s one skill that will determine your long-term success more than almost anything else:
Your ability to build a bench.
A strong bench means you have people on your team who are growing, ready for more responsibility, and capable of stepping in when the workload surges or someone leaves. Weak benches are why teams get overwhelmed, deadlines slip, and managers burn out trying to do everything themselves.
And here’s what most team managers miss:
Bench-building doesn’t start when you need someone. It starts long before.
It begins with the mindset shift many new and emerging managers struggle with — moving from doing the work to developing the people who do the work. If that’s you, revisit our earlier post: 👉 From Doer to Leader because this mindset shift is the foundation of your bench.
Strong benches are built through small leadership behaviors done consistently:
Giving stretch assignments instead of keeping work for yourself
Coaching instead of rescuing
Including people in meetings so they gain context, not just tasks
Spotting potential early and nurturing it intentionally
Bench-building isn’t just a leadership best practice — it’s a performance strategy.
Teams with depth are more stable.
Managers with depth are more confident.
Companies with depth move faster.
And here’s the part most new managers don’t hear enough:
Your bench determines your ceiling.
If no one else can step up, you can’t step up either.
Boundless helps new managers, middle managers, and directors build strong teams through coaching, community, and practical leadership development.
For managers accelerating their careers:
https://members.boundlessnewleaders.com/
For business owners wanting stronger managers and more capable teams:
https://pages.boundlessnewleaders.com/information_request