When career overtakes brain

What neuroscience reveals about the Peter Principle

They exist in almost every company: colleagues who excel in their role – and then get promoted… only to fail shortly thereafter. Welcome to the Peter Principle: According to this principle, people rise in hierarchies until they reach the level of their incompetence. Sounds cynical – but it can be explained surprisingly well with findings from neuroscience.

Success is not the same as suitability

Those who are successful in their jobs have usually developed well-established routines and brain-friendly processes over the years. The brain loves this – it saves energy, activates the reward system (dopamine!), and creates a sense of security. Those who then get promoted suddenly face entirely new challenges: team leadership, strategy, conflict management. Skills that require entirely different neural networks – for example, in the prefrontal cortex, the center for planning, impulse control, and foresight.

In short: The old patterns no longer work – and the brain has to relearn. But that's easier said than done.

Stress makes you stupid – at least in the short term

With the new role often comes pressure: expectations, uncertainty, social comparisons. All of this activates our stress system. And it's a powerful thing. Under stress, the brain releases cortisol – a hormone that is helpful in small doses, but in constant exposure, it reduces cognitive performance. Concentration, memory, decision-making quality: everything suffers.

The prefrontal cortex is particularly affected – precisely the area that would be required for the new role. Instead, the amygdala – our emotional alarm system – takes over. We then react impulsively, defensively, or not at all. The result: We appear overwhelmed – and often are.

Motivation: The Dopamine Trick

Promotions feel good at first. They activate our dopamine system – which makes us motivated, alert, and ready to learn. But this effect only lasts as long as we perceive ourselves as competent. If there are no measurable successes in the new job, the reward chain breaks. The brain asks itself: What am I actually trying hard for?

Without regular successes (no matter how small), the brain loses its interest in playing. Work becomes a chore, no longer a source of pride or joy. And this is precisely where the Peter Principle begins to take effect: The formerly motivated professional finds himself in a role that drains him rather than strengthens him.

Leadership is not talent – it is training

The good news: The brain remains capable of learning. Neuroplasticity means that we can acquire new skills—including leadership skills—even into old age. But that doesn't happen overnight. It takes time, practice, feedback—and an environment that allows for learning.

Many organizations make the same mistake here: They promote good professionals – and then leave them alone. No mentoring, no coaching, no structured onboarding. Instead, they say: "You'll get it done." But the brain doesn't "do it" on its own – it needs guidance, especially in new roles.

Organizations exacerbate the problem – unconsciously

The Peter Principle is not only an individual problem, but also a structural one. Those who excel in their role are promoted—because that's the classic "reward." However, the fact that the next level requires completely different skills is often ignored.

What's particularly disastrous is that, in many companies, specialist careers are less respected than management careers. So, often the only path left is upward mobility – even if it's not a good fit. The result: people in roles that don't fulfill them – and that they can't fulfill because they were never trained for them.

Brain-friendly career planning: Is it possible?

Yes. Companies can do a lot to mitigate the Peter Principle:

• See leadership as a profession – not as a reward.

  
  

• Before promoting, check whether the person wants and can do it.

  
  

• Strengthen a feedback and learning culture that allows mistakes.

  
  

• Coaching and mentoring in the first few months.

  
  

• Enhance specialist careers to offer alternatives to leadership.

Because if the brain is challenged in the right environment, with the right task, at the right pace, it can grow. If not, it goes into defensive mode.

Conclusion: The Peter Principle is not a law of nature

When people fail in the wrong role, it's often not due to laziness or incompetence—but rather to a mismatch between the task and neural preparation. Understanding this can help them shape careers more intelligently: less steep, but more sustainable. Less abrupt, but more successful. And less destructive—for the individual and for the entire team. Neuroscience, therefore, delivers a simple message:

Leadership is not a goal, but a learning process.

Anyone who understands this—and systematically promotes it—has a good chance of overcoming the Peter Principle. It starts in the mind.

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