Harvard Business Review’s Post

I think that too many people move into management positions because it’s build into our minds that that’s the “next step”. Reflecting on what it actually means for you to be a manager is really important. The responsibilities of a manager are very different from that of an IC and not everyone is cut out to be in a managerial position.

This transition is not a skills gap, it is an identity gap. And most people underestimate how disorienting the shift is. One goes from being in control, excelling and certainty in performance to no longer being in control, and creating conditions for others to excel in uncertainty. What actually grows someone into a true manager isn’t just delegation or feedback. It’s developing the capacity to stay present when you are no longer the one in control. That’s the real leap - from personal mastery to relational stewardship.

The transition happens when you shift from wanting to gloat about all your personal accolades for your successes into a lazer focus using your talent to mentor your team and junior leaders into star performers. Selfish behaviors transform into selfless performance.

Leaders eat last.

Going from star performer to star manager isn’t about adding more skills, it’s about changing your center of gravity. Individual excellence stops being the goal; enabling clarity, capability, and culture becomes the job. Leadership is an identity shift, not a title upgrade. The biggest promotion mistake isn’t skill, it’s identity. What got you here won’t get you there.

I have no respect for Harvard after an investigation found 50 years of institutionalized antisemitism with actions against Jewish students. I will not donate to you, I will not hire your graduates and I have lost respect for any biased research that comes from your incredibly disappointing and weak “educational” institution.

Always the greatest challenge, especially if needing to manage Peers. Then, the journey towards Leadership begins.

True, but in practice, good management starts with structure.

Most managers focus on what they want from the team. The shift happens when you understand what drives you because that’s the engine behind how you show up. When you’re clear on your own motives, you stop managing for control and start leading for contribution. You listen differently. You coach differently. You make decisions that serve the work, not your ego. Teams feel that. And they respond to it. Strong managers don’t put themselves last… they put the mission and the people first, and they let their own motivations fuel how well they support both.