In the aquatics world, promotion is often treated as a natural progression.
A lifeguard who never misses a shift becomes a head guard.
An instructor who knows the curriculum inside and out is asked to supervise others.
A technician who can fix almost anything suddenly finds themselves managing people instead of systems.
On paper, the logic is sound. These are capable, committed professionals who understand the environment. They know the rhythms of the pool deck, the stakes of safety, and the unspoken rules that govern daily operations.
And yet, many organizations discover — sometimes quietly, sometimes painfully — that technical excellence does not automatically translate into leadership readiness.
This gap between being promoted and being prepared has become one of the most consequential challenges in aquatic management.
The Managers Closest to the Water
New managers and supervisors occupy a uniquely exposed position. They stand closest to frontline staff, closest to patrons, and closest to the real-time decisions that shape safety and experience. They are responsible for enforcing policies while maintaining relationships, responding to incidents while keeping operations moving, and absorbing pressure from both directions — above and below.
In many ways, they are the human infrastructure of aquatic facilities.
When these leaders are confident and supported, the effects are immediately visible. Communication improves. Staff turnover slows. Small issues are addressed before they become emergencies. Safety culture becomes something that is lived, not laminated.
When they are not, the cracks spread quickly. Confusion replaces clarity. Avoidance replaces accountability. The pool may still open on time, but the underlying strain becomes harder to ignore.
How We Promote — and What We Overlook
Most aquatic organizations promote people for understandable reasons. They reward reliability, experience, and competence. They elevate those who have demonstrated commitment and who “know how things work.”
What is less commonly evaluated is whether the individual has been given the tools to lead people.
Leadership requires a different orientation than technical work. It demands communication under pressure, emotional regulation in moments of conflict, and the ability to guide others without defaulting to control or avoidance. These are not traits people absorb by osmosis. They are skills that must be learned, practiced, and supported.
Instead, many new managers are handed a title and a set of expectations with little more guidance than: You’ll figure it out.
Some do. Others quietly struggle. A few decide leadership simply isn’t worth the cost.
Two Skill Sets, One Role
At the heart of the problem is a persistent misunderstanding: that the skills required to perform a job well are the same skills required to manage others performing that job.
They are not.
Technical competence is about precision and execution. Leadership is about judgment, communication, and influence. One focuses on doing the work correctly; the other focuses on enabling others to do the work well.
When these two domains are collapsed into a single expectation, new managers are often forced to choose between fixing problems themselves or attempting to lead without adequate preparation. The result is predictable: overwork, frustration, and inconsistency.
The Quiet Weight of First-Time Leadership
Many new aquatic supervisors carry an unspoken burden. They want to support their teams without losing authority. They want to enforce standards without being perceived as inflexible. They want to protect safety while managing personalities, schedules, and public expectations.
Without training, these tensions can feel personal rather than structural.
Leadership becomes reactive instead of intentional. Conversations are postponed. Issues linger. Stress accumulates.
Over time, what began as an opportunity to grow becomes a source of exhaustion.
Why This Matters Beyond Management
This is not merely a leadership issue. It is a safety issue.
Aquatic environments are complex and unforgiving. Clear communication, consistent expectations, and confident decision-making are not luxuries — they are foundational to risk management. When leadership falters, safety systems are strained.
Strong leadership does not eliminate risk. It mitigates it.
Preparing Leaders, Not Just Promoting Them
If the aquatics field wants to strengthen its future, it must rethink how it develops leaders.
Preparation should accompany promotion. Support should follow responsibility. New managers should be given space to learn — not just space to perform.
Leadership is not an innate trait bestowed by title. It is a discipline that must be cultivated.
The Long View
The most effective aquatic leaders are rarely the loudest or most visible. They are steady. They are consistent. They understand that leadership is less about authority and more about endurance.
They stay.
And they build systems that allow others to succeed.
If we want safer facilities, stronger teams, and more sustainable careers in aquatics, we must begin by acknowledging a simple truth:
Promotion is not preparation.
Leadership must be learned.
I explore these ideas more deeply through Navigating Neva, a space where I write about leadership, identity, and navigating change with greater awareness and intention. It’s a place for slowing down, asking better questions, and making sense of the human side of responsibility—especially in roles where clarity, steadiness, and reflection matter.
This conversation is part of a broader dialogue taking shape at All Things Aquatics, where we explore how aquatic professionals connect, learn, and grow together across disciplines. You can read more about that larger context in Aquatic Conferences: Where the Aquatics Industry Comes Together, which reflects the shared spaces where these leadership challenges are surfaced, examined, and addressed collectively.