Why 60% of New Supervisors Fail (And How to Fix It)

60% of new supervisors fail in their first 24 months.
Today, we break down why — and how to build leaders the right way.

In this episode of the Just Some BS Podcast, Brandon sits down with leadership trainer and manufacturing expert Becky Becker to tackle one of the most painful and expensive problems in the industry:
promoting your best worker and hoping they magically become a great leader.

Spoiler: hope isn’t a strategy.

Becky has trained leaders in 43 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and she reveals the real reasons supervisors struggle — lack of training, lack of mentorship, culture gaps, and unrealistic expectations.

This conversation is packed with practical tools for manufacturing companies, HR teams, and new supervisors who want to succeed instead of sinking.

This episode is a masterclass in fixing the frontline leadership crisis happening across the industry.

CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Intro
 00:08 – Why promoting your best worker often fails
 01:00 – The NFL analogy that explains leadership mistakes
 03:00 – Is leadership born or trained?
 04:30 – Why the Navy trains leaders from day one
 05:45 – Radical grace & culture expectations
 07:30 – Why people need to feel appreciated at work
 09:10 – Meeting people where they are
 11:12 – Becky’s childhood story that shaped her leadership lens
 13:40 – Why leaders must understand values & mission
 18:50 – Why trust is a skill — not magic
 20:05 – ABCD Model of Trust
 21:30 – The human side of leading through chaos
 22:45 – Staying consistent as a leader
 23:48 – Becoming “unflappable”
 25:10 – What Navy SEAL breathing teaches about emotional control
 27:10 – Manufacturing’s massive supervisor failure rate
 28:20 – Why new supervisors get almost no training
 29:40 – The impact of bad supervisors on turnover
 31:18 – Creating alternate career tracks for technical experts
 32:20 – Why temporary supervisor assignments save careers
 34:05 – Becky’s weirdest nerd hobby (and a secret 1940s York movie)
 36:15 – What companies should screen for BEFORE promoting
 39:40 – How to evaluate leadership readiness
 41:10 – Preventing resentment when promoting non–star performers
 44:00 – Why new supervisors default back to what they’re good at
 45:45 – Sandbox vs. hot seat (training the right way)
 47:20 – How to help someone step back without shame
48:30 – The hardest conversation Becky ever witnessed
51:00 – Why annual reviews shouldn’t deliver surprises
52:20 – The T-ball coaching analogy every supervisor needs
53:50 – How the Manufacturers Association trains supervisors
56:10 – How companies can prepare supervisors before training
57:30 – The leadership belief Becky changed her mind on
58:30 – What great supervisors really do
59:30 – What Becky hopes she’ll be remembered for
59:55 – Advice for anyone just promoted
01:01:00 – Final message + where to find Becky

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