Leadership Conversations

Why don’t all great managers necessarily make great leaders? The author was struck by many examples of excellent managers, often identified as having high potential, who fail as soon as they become managers of managers. Sometimes, they did not receive needed support. But very often, their problems were caused principally by the fact that they did not understand the required change in attitude. One manager of managers may not enjoy losing his luster as the expert in his domain and start micro-managing, while another may be surprised that her excellent sales performance no longer makes up for her inability to develop subordinates.

Four pillars prove to be decisive in making a successful transition from local manager to leader: the ability to build a network of relationships, to develop people, to make decisions and to take action. By breaking down this simple model and relying on concrete, striking examples, the author effectively points out different ways to exert leadership.