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You Can Lead More Than You Can Manage
Leadership / Dualities
Leadership scales. Management doesn't.
Managing
- Requires direct involvement: 1:1s, reviews, task assignment.
- Limited by your time and attention.
- Typically 5-10 direct reports max.
Leading
- Works through vision, culture, and principles.
- Scales through other leaders.
- Can influence hundreds or thousands.
The Implication
As you grow, you must shift from managing to leading. You can't have 1:1s with everyone, but you can:
- Set a clear vision that guides decisions at every level.
- Build a culture that produces the behaviours you want.
- Develop leaders who lead others.
- Create systems and principles that work without you.
The Mistake
Leaders who try to manage everyone become bottlenecks. They get pulled into details while the big picture drifts.
The Transition
Let go of managing every person. Focus on leading the system and developing the leaders within it.
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