[VIDEO] From Bench to Boss: Why Technical Experts Struggle in Management Roles

Across the flavor and fragrance industry, there is a familiar pattern when it comes to career progression.

Strong technical performers rise.

Flavorists, R&D managers, fragrance development managers, regulatory specialists and QA professionals build their careers on deep expertise and consistent delivery. Over time, many are promoted into management roles. On paper, it makes sense. High performers are given more responsibility, broader influence and the opportunity to shape teams.

In reality, the transition is rarely as straightforward.

One of the most consistent themes I have seen over the years, working within executive search for the global specialty ingredients industry, is that these promotions are driven by technical excellence, not leadership capability. Even more importantly, they are rarely supported with structured management training. The assumption is simple. If someone is excellent at their job, managing people is the natural next step.

It often isn’t.

At first, the move feels like progression. A management title signals growth, recognition and trust from the business. But what is less obvious is how fundamentally the role changes.

This is not a step up in the same direction. It is a move into a different role entirely.

Take flavorists as a clear example. Much of their value, and enjoyment, comes from time spent creating at the bench. Moving into management reduces that time significantly. Instead, the day becomes filled with meetings, internal alignment, reporting and people-related challenges.

For individuals who have built their careers on technical mastery, that shift can be difficult to adjust to.

A senior director and principal flavorist at a global flavor house, who preferred to remain anonymous (we will refer to them hereafter as "Flavorist A"), described this transition candidly: “I remember the point where I realized I was no longer being measured on the quality of my creations, but on the performance of others. That is a very different kind of pressure. No one really prepares you for that shift.”

Cynthia Lipka, a retired principal flavorist (and Perfumer & Flavorist+ columnist) with experience across multiple global flavor houses, has seen this play out repeatedly. In her view, individuals are often “offered or thrust into positions” because they perform well technically, with little to no preparation for what management actually requires. The result is not a lack of capability, but a lack of direction.

Across the specialty ingredients industry, the impact of overlooking this is clear.

Technically strong managers struggle with difficult conversations.

Teams lack direction despite strong individual capability.

High performers become overstretched, trying to balance technical work with people management.

This is not a reflection of the individuals. It is the result of how progression is often handled.

At its core, what is happening is a role shift without a mindset shift.

A technical role is centered on personal output and problem-solving. A management role is centered on people. It requires setting direction, giving feedback, managing performance and creating an environment where others can succeed.

Those are different skills. Without support, they are not skills people develop by default.

Flavorist A expanded on this from personal experience: “The hardest part wasn’t learning the mechanics of management. It was letting go of the bench. You spend years building that identity, and suddenly your value is tied to something else entirely. If you don’t make that mental shift early, you end up trying to do both, and doing neither particularly well.”

Lipka also highlights a deeper structural issue. In many organizations, management is positioned as the only meaningful route for progression. This creates a situation where technically strong individuals feel compelled to move into leadership roles to advance financially, even if the role itself is not aligned with their strengths or interests.

Her experience reflects the reality many encounter. Time spent in management can move individuals further away from the work they enjoy, while introducing challenges they have not been equipped to handle. Dealing with underperformance, navigating team dynamics, and managing conflict are not skills that develop automatically, particularly without guidance or support.

For businesses, promoting technical expertise into management without proper development is not neutral. It introduces risk. Teams lose clarity. Managers lose confidence. And in some cases, organizations lose strong technical talent who no longer enjoy their role.

Flavorist A was direct on the long-term impact: “I’ve seen very strong flavorists step away from large multinationals, where the role becomes heavily weighted toward management, and move into smaller, independent flavor houses where they can refocus on creation and, at most, lead or mentor a much smaller team. Not because they weren’t capable, but because the role took them too far away from what they were actually good at.”

For individuals, the trade-off can be just as significant. The move into management can take them further away from the work they are best at, and the part of the job they enjoy most.

Which leads to an important question: If you are considering stepping into a management role, is it actually the right path for you?

And if you are promoting someone into that role, are you equipping them to succeed, or simply expecting them to figure it out?

The industry does not lack technical capability. What it needs is a more deliberate approach to developing management capability alongside it.

That starts with clearer expectations, structured training and, importantly, alternative progression pathways. Dual career ladders, where technical experts can continue to grow, be recognized and be rewarded without moving into management, are not a new concept. But they remain underutilized.

Because moving into management is not a reward for past performance. It is a new role that requires a different set of skills entirely.