26. Is Your Employee Ready to Lead Their Peers? Here’s How to Tell Artwork

Drama Free Teams | Trauma-Informed Leadership for High-Performing Teams

Your team's smart. But managing the personalities, politics, and pressure of leadership? That’s a whole other story.

If you’re constantly putting out fires, struggling to get buy-in, or avoiding difficult conversations to keep the peace, Drama Free Teams is your new secret weapon.

Hosted by trauma-informed executive coach Dr. Annie Campanile, PhD, this podcast helps emotionally intelligent leaders stop second-guessing what to say, and start leading conversations that create clarity, accountability, and connection.

Dr. Annie has helped hundreds of leaders build high-performing teams and step into the C-suite without people-pleasing, second-guessing themselves, or getting derailed by drama at work, and in every episode, she’s handing you psychology-backed insights and straightforward tools you can put to work right away to become the kind of leader people authentically trust, respect, and want to follow.

Ready to become a great leader, known for clear, confident, and compassionate leadership—at work, at home, and in every area of your life? Hit PLAY and let’s begin.

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Drama Free Teams | Trauma-Informed Leadership for High-Performing Teams

26. Is Your Employee Ready to Lead Their Peers? Here’s How to Tell

September 10, 2025 • Annie Campanile, PhD • Episode 26

You’re ready to promote a strong performer into leadership—but how do you know if they’re really prepared to lead their peers?

In this episode, I share an unusual interview technique that goes beyond resumes and past performance to reveal how each candidate will actually show up as a leader in front of their former coworkers. You’ll hear how one manager used this exact process to choose the right supervisor for a struggling team and why skipping this step can lead to resistance, resentment, and months of unnecessary drama at work.

You’ll also walk away with a simple three-step structure you can use to promote from within with confidence, prepare new leaders to guide their teams through change, and build trust from day one.

So if you’ve ever worried about promoting the wrong person, or wondered how to know if a candidate is truly ready to lead, hit play and let’s dive in.

0:00 – The Hidden Risk of Promoting a Peer Into Leadership

0:45 – How to Spot the #1 Mistake Leaders Make When Promoting from Within

1:30 – The Simple Interview Technique That Reveals Who’s Truly Ready to Lead A Team Through Change

5:10 – A 3-Step Process to Evaluate Internal Candidates Fairly (and Win Team Buy-In)

7:30 – How to Save Months of Time, Build Trust, and Set Your New Leader Up for Success

For step-by-step instructions:

Grab your FREE Peer to Leader Interview Guide

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