{"id":1036,"date":"2025-04-15T13:50:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T13:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/powerinsideout.com\/?p=1036"},"modified":"2026-02-13T15:33:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T15:33:25","slug":"the-manager-myth-why-true-leadership-starts-before-the-promotion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/powerinsideout.com\/en\/the-manager-myth-why-true-leadership-starts-before-the-promotion\/","title":{"rendered":"The Manager Myth: Why True Leadership Starts Before the Promotion"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The Manager Myth: Why True Leadership Starts Before the Promotion<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Driving Rapid Growth for Your Company with Fortune 500 Best Practices | Digital Transformation Leader | Leadership Development | Sales Director | Certified Organizational Coach |<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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April 15, 2025<\/span><\/p>\n

No, this is not another article about manager vs leader. It is about the path to becoming both.<\/span><\/p>\n

As John Maxwell once said, ‘Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.’<\/span><\/p>\n

The aspiration to be a leader is common. Over the years, many individuals in my teams have expressed to me their desire to become people managers and leaders as their next step in their careers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Becoming a manager sets you apart. It often means new meetings and conversations, a potential salary increase, and recognition.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, leadership is different. You don’t have to manage people to lead, but you must be a leader to be a good manager.<\/span><\/p>\n

People Manager vs Leader<\/span><\/p>\n

The distinction is crucial: being one doesn’t guarantee being the other.<\/span><\/p>\n

A people manager oversees resources and personnel, with responsibilities like salaries, promotions, and tasks. Authority comes from their position. The goal is efficient task completion.<\/span><\/p>\n

A leader has a vision, cares about people, sets a positive example, and prioritizes the team\u2019s needs. Authority comes from influence and inspiration, creating a shared vision.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do both roles come together?<\/span><\/p>\n

Not automatically. An organization assigns the role of manager, granting authority. Leadership is earned when others recognize your abilities and choose to follow you. This is often missed when new managers assume their position automatically confers leadership.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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What Happens With a New Manager?<\/span><\/p>\n

Leadership is not an inherent trait, and it is common for individuals to be promoted to managerial positions without having developed leadership skills. This can cause significant stress for both the manager and the team.<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, some companies restrict leadership training to existing leaders, overlooking the potential benefits of preparing future leaders or high-potential employees. In many instances, I have observed managers who, after six months in their new roles, face team complaints or negative feedback from managerial surveys. They often need to make considerable efforts to acquire basic leadership skills at that point.<\/span><\/p>\n

This reactive approach typically triggers concern within the company regarding the new manager’s leadership abilities. Would it not be more effective to provide leadership training <\/span>before<\/span> individuals assume managerial roles?<\/span><\/p>\n

Steps to Achieve a Leadership Position<\/span><\/p>\n

Securing a managerial role is a challenging endeavor. Initially, an open position must be available. Additionally, your performance in your current role must be exemplary. However, this alone does not ensure that you will be effective as a leader.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is advisable to begin demonstrating leadership within your existing role. If you can inspire and garner respect from your colleagues without formal authority, you have mastered the most critical aspect of leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n

Subsequently, most individuals can acquire skills related to talent management, salary structuring, and other managerial responsibilities.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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How can I lead when I am not a manager yet?<\/span><\/p>\n

I<\/span>t is essential to understand that leadership can be demonstrated daily, regardless of one’s official position. For instance, an individual contributor within my team once informed me that a colleague from another country was facing challenges with customers. This individual requested permission to travel to assist the colleague for three days; during this time, he planned to establish processes, facilitate meetings with customers, provide mentorship, and subsequently return.<\/span><\/p>\n

This scenario exemplifies leadership in practice. Trusting a peer, offering support, and dedicating both personal and professional time to aid team members are quintessential attributes of effective leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can start developing leadership skills even though you are not a manager, in areas like communication, planning, influencing, conflict resolution, motivation, and others.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can also develop leadership skills by:<\/span><\/p>\n\n