Promoted into Incompetence: Why Good Workers Become Poor Leaders—and How Organizations Can Change That
The Second Title in the Fraser Leadership Series
Available January 5, 2026 — Now Available for Preorder
Available Wherever You Work and Lead
Choose the version that fits your workflow
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What the Book Examines
Promoted into Incompetence confronts a leadership crisis hiding in plain sight: how technically skilled employees often rise to management positions without the preparation, perspective, or training to lead effectively.
Drawing on more than thirty years of executive and academic experience, Dr. David E. Fraser reveals why competence in one role does not automatically translate into success in another—and what organizations can do to change that.
From public agencies and hospitals to universities and nonprofits, Promoted into Incompetence examines the systems that reward technical mastery while neglecting leadership readiness.
Through clear analysis, practical frameworks, and field-tested tools, the book provides a roadmap for rebuilding leadership pipelines that cultivate ethical, capable, and self-aware leaders. It’s both a diagnosis and a guide for action—showing how organizations can transform misplaced promotions into intentional leadership development and restore organizational confidence.
From city halls and hospitals to classrooms and boardrooms, this book speaks to leaders across every sector who are striving to bridge the gap between technical mastery and leadership readiness. Practical frameworks, real-world insights, and ethical guidance make Promoted into Incompetence an essential resource for executives, HR professionals, and educators committed to building capable, confident, and mission-driven teams.
From the Foreword by Dr. Jay Umeh
Professor Emeritus and Former Chair, Public Affairs & Administration, California State University
“Dr. David E. Fraser’s Promoted into Incompetence: Why Good Workers Become Poor Leaders—and How Organizations Can Change That confronts this paradox with uncommon clarity and compassion. It is at once an analysis of how organizations inadvertently manufacture unprepared leaders and a guide for how they can do better. Drawing upon his dual identity as scholar and practitioner, Dr. Fraser demonstrates that leadership failure is rarely a failure of individuals; it is a predictable outcome of structural and developmental neglect.”
Behind the Book: Why I Wrote Promoted into Incompetence
After more than three decades working across public service, healthcare administration, and higher education, I’ve seen a recurring pattern: organizations promote technical performers into leadership roles without equipping them to succeed.
The result isn’t just individual frustration—it’s organizational instability and lost public trust.
Promoted into Incompetence is my effort to unpack that pattern and offer a blueprint for doing better—for teaching, mentoring, and selecting leaders in ways that sustain both competence and confidence.
Institutional Recognition
Promoted into Incompetence continues the Fraser Leadership Series, following the widely adopted Grantcraft: The Practitioner’s Guide to Strategic Funding for Public Service, Healthcare, and the Nonprofit Sector.
The series bridges the theory and practice of leadership across government, healthcare, and nonprofit contexts—providing pragmatic tools for those who lead in service of the public good.
Bring Promoted into Incompetence to Your Organization
Dr. Fraser offers customized workshops, executive briefings, and leadership development sessions based on the frameworks in Promoted into Incompetence.
These sessions are tailored for government agencies, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and nonprofits seeking to build stronger, more capable leadership pipelines.
For Faculty, Bookstores & Libraries
Available through Ingram with a standard wholesale discount and is fully returnable.
ISBNs for Ordering:
- Hardcover: 979-8-9936905-2-0
- Paperback: 979-8-9936905-3-7
- Kindle eBook: 979-8-9936905-0-6
- Apple Books eBook: 979-8-9936905-4-4
- Library / Institutional eBook: 979-8-9936905-5-1
Faculty evaluation copies are available by request for instructors considering the book for course adoption.
Please email: publications@fraserleadership.com with your name, institution, course title, anticipated enrollment, and semester of use.
Explore More
Looking for practical guidance on funding strategy and organizational capacity?
Explore the first book in the Fraser Leadership Series —