Through the lens of the leadership identify development theory (LIDT), this exploratory case study addressed how managers in Northeastern community colleges assessed management readiness and the systems in place for the growth and development of technical employees who move into managerial roles. The study consisted of open-ended interviews with ten middle and senior community college managers. The results of this study revealed that participants relied on their own experiences and perceptions to assess the readiness of employees seeking ascension into managerial roles. They were reflective of the experiences they shared using formal and informal systems to assess readiness, although there were inconsistencies in the implementations of those systems. The findings of this study further highlighted the LIDT support for community colleges to systemize leadership development, including taking on leadership roles, learning within groups, and committing to development for all college employees, as well as institution-wide succession planning efforts. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]