What does it mean to be a good manager? Is there just one way to be good? What makes a manager a bad one? Most of us can tell you a thing or two about “bad manager(s)”. How about leadership, where does that come into play? We often expect our managers to be our leaders, but this is not always the case. Does it need to be?
The difference between a leader and a manager
A manager is someone who has responsibility for personnel. They deal with their team’s administrative work, and the passing of information up and down a team or organization. They act as a point of escalation for individual contributors, and work to remove internal blockages. Team managers are responsible for their team’s output, metrics, and goal setting. Typically, a manager supervises staff, is responsible for holding them accountable, and is relied on for delegating and mobilizing resources.
A leader, on the other hand, is more ambiguous. Leaders influence and inspire their colleagues. They channel the vision of the organization, providing a general direction for everyone to work towards. While management speaks to specific goals or metrics; leadership is more about alignment and communicating the bigger picture, in relation to those goals and metrics.
Not all leaders are managers
Not all leaders are good managers, just like not all managers are good leaders. It is possible to be good at one yet bad at the other – and that’s okay! This is why it’s important to consider both areas of expertise when you’re hiring and promoting, judging your leaders, or considering your own career path.
In my work experience, I’ve come across great managers who are poor leaders. Great leaders who are incapable of management. People who are great at both, and everything in between. Different managers have different management styles. And each employee has their own preference of how to be managed (or not managed).
There are also many ways to be a leader. Try a web search for different types of leaders. You’ll encounter a plethora of definitions and catchy names for all sorts of leadership styles. I like to keep things simple and refer to two broad different types of leaders in engineering and technology. ‘Technical leaders’ and ‘people leaders’. Both types possess the same qualities that make someone a good leader, while focusing on different aspects of work.
People leaders direct their focus on the organization as a whole. The people and their motivations. How to build and nurture their team.
While technical leaders are the go-to folks for creating vision and alignment for technical systems. They excel in defining the ultimate value created for their customers.
Good leaders are often pushed into managerial roles
People leaders tend to be vocal about their organization’s direction. They are apt at bringing other’s voices, ideas, or concerns to the forefront of conversation. This type of leader can put words to what others can’t, talking about the ‘why’ behind aspects of work. People leaders relate the day-to-day activities with the long term plans, and inspire others to follow a vision. While people leadership skills are desirable for many manager roles, it’s not necessary for every manager to have them. Neither is it necessary for a good people leader to also manage a team. For one, not everyone wants the burden of being responsible for others in the workplace.
Technical leaders can make good managers too
But technical leaders don’t necessarily need to have direct reports or ‘manage a team’ either. I’ve seen situations where the most effective technical leaders are best allowed to remain individual contributors, if they choose to. This allows them to shape and form the vision of a product or service, without the encumberment of administrative ‘manager’ duties. People and communication skills are still important for any leader. But not all leaders need to excel in things like goal setting, tracking efforts, and the logistics that a manager must be responsible for.
Technical leaders can rally everyone around a vision of what a product or service looks like. What problems they are solving. While people leaders can rally them around solving that problem in the first place. How to work together in creating a better solution.
How do you like to manage?
The best line manager I’ve had to date, was a scatterbrain, but well-intentioned, and a genius. Most importantly, they were trusting and communicative more often than not. This manager listens, asks questions, and is able to discern just enough of what is going on to be able to propose and advance solutions. This manager brings creativity out of the entire project team. They pull together disparate opinions and find ways to balance them. And they love getting into the nitty gritty, even when it’s outside their job description.
But as much as I loved working with them, I hated reporting to them. There was no plan. No organization. No meaningful goals, or structure. It was impossible to know if you were working on the most important thing, or just the flavour of the week. Learning development? Just figure it out yourself. Career progression? No time to think about that. Raises? Not now, enjoy the other perks, like a flexible schedule and beer on tap.
Senior leadership expected them to be planning, and scoping, and up at the top of the tower. But their best work was when they were down on the ground. Talking to the workers, and rolling up their sleeves jumping into spreadsheets and code. It was quite the conundrum. But this helped me realize there are different ways to lead and manage people. I started to acknowledge differences and similarities between what it means to manage, and what it means to lead. A line manager doesn’t have to be responsible for all forms of leadership and management of their direct reports. But there are certain fundamentals, like constructive feedback and setting expectations, which can mean the difference between acceptable and unacceptable management.
I asked a few friends of mine if they would mind sharing some thoughts about management style in this post. Max and Janice are both amazing managers and leaders, and I admire them professionally and personally.
Janice
Janice Green is an HR professional and People & Culture leader. I had the privilege to overlap with her at Clir Renewables. She exemplifies a management style that is, as she puts it “laissez faire, or hands off for the most part.” Trust and empowerment is the foundation of Janice’s workstyle both as a manager and an employee. She readily supports her team when they ask. Whether it’s digging deep into the weeds with them, or strategically coaching and acting as a sounding board.
“I try to create an environment of trust and empowerment when I’m in a management position,” Janice shares with me.
When a problem is brought to Janice by one of her reports, she likes to utilize a coach approach. She asks thought provoking questions and helps her employee arrive at a solution or next step, without directing them to the answer. This works well with the roles Janice typically finds herself in at work. I remember meeting Janice for the first time on a video call, and I just trusted her wholeheartedly.
Janice is a genuine and empathetic leader. So much that it’s natural to go to her with problems and seeking advice. She reveals, “many times folks already know the solutions to the problems for which they seek advice; they just need help illuminating it!”
Max
Max Ng is a professional engineer and senior manager at ConeTec and Mud Bay Drilling. We worked together on a couple of site exploration projects when I was an engineer-in-training. When asked about his management style, Max talks about trying to check in with his team often. “I find that the day to day interactions really help foster a team environment and gets everyone moving in the same direction.” Whether their discussions are work related or not. These informal conversations foster an environment where his team comes to him with issues they need resolved.
Feedback is an important mechanism for Max. As a manager and a leader, he knows the importance of listening and how feedback should go both ways. Max takes in his team’s complaints and criticisms and works with them to come up with the best plan forward. He reminds us to “always remember to tell people they have done a good job; if every interaction with your team is about a problem or criticism that just creates friction.”
How do you like to be managed?
As I start working with a new client, I like to take some time to understand how they work and how they want to interact with me. If they like to be coached, or prefer to be advised. What are the communication methods they prefer, and if there are methods they dislike. Understanding their work schedule, which days or times I can expect them to be available or not. Perhaps their timetables are fairly rigid, or they could be ever-changing. These considerations all apply for people I’ve managed and worked with in the past too. Getting to know the people you’re working with. What works best for them and what doesn’t work, helps you as a manager and a leader on any team.
It’s unlikely all of your reports will prefer to be managed in the same way. On one team I managed, an employee preferred direct feedback. They wanted it right away, and in whichever delivery method was convenient. While at the same time, I had an employee who shrunk away from direct feedback. This employee preferred scheduled time where they could mentally prepare for receiving potential criticism. Going in to our one-on-one meetings, I had to remind myself who I was talking to. How they prefer to receive feedback and constructive criticism, and think about how I would deliver it.
When asking Janice and Max how they like to be managed, it was interesting to see the similarity in their responses despite their different work environments
“I prefer to be managed in much the same way as I manage – with empowerment, trust, and a hands off approach.” Janice shares. “I appreciate having a leader who is willing to bounce ideas, support me when I need mentorship or advice, and who supports my career growth.”
“Give me the tools and let me go.” Max responds. “I like a fairly hands off style, where I am given a task, the tools, and then set off. My manager is there if I have a question or need some help.”
Janice tells us, “I’ve had many exceptional managers in my career, but I had one who stands out strongly to me. This leader was someone who led with a values first approach, was trusting, and always provided empathetic and timely feedback.”
There is so much about our lives that is outside of our control. If managers can provide an environment where people feel empowered, those employees are going to want to stick around and do good work.
Expectations of a manager
As we discussed earlier, not all managers or leaders are technical or ‘domain experts’. What happens when we need help on a matter our managers don’t understand?
As an engineer, I always want my technical work to be reviewed before it’s finalized. Who reviews it should be someone who understands the work I’m doing from a technical perspective. No one wants the sales associate reviewing software code. Just as much as they don’t want the software developer reviewing a sales pitch design. Unless you’re a very small team – where everyone is expected to do a bit of everything.
I wouldn’t necessarily expect my manager to be able to review my designs. But I would expect them to help facilitate who should. Depending on the structure of a company, I may be required to choose from a list of approved reviewers. I might be free to ask a colleague, whom I deem fit, to review my work. Or there may be a more rigorous process. These are the hurdles I expect managers to help navigate, at least the first few times. And if any of the team or company requirements were to change, I’d expect the manager to inform me of the changes.
Escalating issues
This is similar for escalating issues. My ideal manager may not know how to resolve the problem I’ve raised. But they are pro-active in ensuring it gets to the people who can resolve it. They may facilitate a meeting between peers, helping us come to resolution. Or bring the issue to someone with more decision-making power and influence in the organization.
Managers should be expected to set some goals for us, such as the team’s targets. And I always suggest these team goals be discussed collaboratively before being set in stone. But they should also help their employees set their own personal goals. If the manager is not a natural leader, and wants to be, goal setting is a good way to help develop alignment skills. Think of how you can help your team come up with a goal or two for each person’s own career path, all the while fitting in to your team goals or the organization’s.
Speed Bumps on the road to management and leadership
Whether you’re new to management, leadership, or either have been part of your career for a while now, there will be many setbacks and frustrations ahead of you. I can’t cover them all here, so let’s discuss a couple that are especially prevalent early on in a management or leadership journey. And if you want more tips, you can check out this case study on how empowering people to be effective, self-starter, project managers can have positive business outcomes.
Managing up
I couldn’t get through a post about management without mentioning the phrase managing up. I remember hearing those words a lot as a young professional. During many women in STEM events, coffee chats, and mentorship meetups, I was told about my responsibilities to “manage up”. As if it were my duty, as the more organized person in the relationship between my manager and me, to manage them and help them manage outwards. For more details on managing up, you can check out this HBR perspective.
While finding myself reporting to people who were managers only by title, I remember getting frustrated. I was pondering, if I’m doing all the management, shouldn’t I just be the manager? Should I have the responsibility, accountability, and associated compensation to act and do as a manager is expected? The need for ‘managing up’ seemed to stem from having managers who were not very good at managing people or projects.
Gaining perspective
Eventually I did find myself in a management seat and then in a senior management seat. While I now appreciate the hardships of management more, I still don’t see the merit in encouraging people to “manage up”. Unless they enjoy it and have no ambition for the responsibilities, accountabilities, and associated compensation. To me, if you’re doing the work, you should be compensated appropriately for it.
There is a grey area between empowering your employees and being so hands off they need to manage up. Which is why setting expectations, establishing consistent lines of communication, and trust are all imperative to being a good manager. It shouldn’t be the employee’s responsibility to lay this out, it is the job of the manager.
Patience
Every leader was once a follower, and all good leaders know when to follow still. You may be great at leading or managing a small team, and rallying them around your cause. But if the team grows, you must grow with it. Rarely is someone great at leading a budding team and a large organization; those take different skills. As your team evolves, sometimes that means letting others in to take responsibilities from you. It’s difficult to know how much to push outside your comfort zone; how much to hold on to, and what to let go of.
As someone outside the leadership, you may find yourself frustrated. Thinking you know better than those making decisions. And you may be correct in thinking that. But whether you’re in a management seat or not, patience is key to being a leader. Leaders have a tough job, and they might not be ready to accept your help. If you’re in an organization that’s right for you, and you’re persistent, time will allow you to eventually join in making an impactful difference.
Some people are pushed into leadership or management quickly. While others take decades to build up their skills and confidence. On either side of that spectrum, you’ll feel like some things are happening too fast and others not fast enough. It’s a tricky balance that almost no one gets right at the start.
Words of Wisdom
When people ask me what it takes to get into a management or leadership position, I know there’s no one right answer. But what they’re looking for is what they can do. Consider what you as an individual can influence about yourself. Are you afraid of failure? Suffer from imposter syndrome? Maybe you think you’re not ready for the responsibility of others, or told you’re not ready for it.
I asked Janice and Max what words of wisdom they would pass on to new managers.
Max shares: “You are managing a team, so make sure you treat them like one. You are all in it together, you all succeed or fail as one. Everyone has different capacities and skills, listen and use each team member as best as you can.”
And from Janice: “Be yourself! If you’re thinking with a people first approach, genuinely care about your team, and want to help people grow and develop, chances are that you’re already doing a great job. Oh, and utilize your HR/People & Culture support more often!”
Remember, as much as you may feel alone in your journey, there are countless others who have been here before. How do you teach someone to be a good manager? Can you train someone to be a good leader? Most of those skills come with doing the job, making mistakes, and learning. Even then, most of us are faking that we know exactly what we’re doing. It’s too simple to say “have confidence in yourself”. So I’ll leave you with this: celebrate the little wins, learn from your failures, and surround yourself with people who encourage you and make you better.