The Things Great Leaders Do That Managers Often Miss

The things that great leaders do that managers often miss. This is what we'll be talking about today on how to lead the podcast for CEOs, founders and leaders who want some clear tools, techniques, and strategies to help them lead well so their teams thrive and results follow. And I dare say so they avoid being like Linda, the bad manager.

I'm Kate Waterfall Hill and I'll be sharing some ideas from over 30 years of working in business and leadership development. But before we dive in, as always a quick reminder if you find my take on leadership useful, but want to go deeper into elevating your own leadership skills or those of your managers, then do check out my website, waterfall hill.co uk.

You'll get details of all my coaching services, including my online course, the How to Lead Digital Academy, the Leadership Accelerator Premium, my team workshops, and my one-to-one coaching programs.

So let's kick off and see what Linda, the bad manager, my alter ego on social media has to say about the things great leaders do that managers often miss.

“Hi everyone. Quick update from me. You may have noticed in the org chart that I'm no longer listed as line manager. No, don't breathe this sigh of relief. No, I'm now officially your people leader. What does that mean? Well, mainly that I've updated my LinkedIn profile and, uh, very inspirational, very modern shows that I'm all about the people.

Yeah, but don't panic. Nothing will actually change. I'll still be approving your holiday just one day before you're actually due to go and I'll be monitoring your time sheets with military position Leadership, after all, is about attention to detail. Is it not? Rachel's also told me now I'm a people leader, that I need to care about your personal development, and I should be having development conversations.

That sounds like a complete drag. So just wanted to ask you, are you all all right? Are you thinking that you are developing quite nicely? Excellent. I shall tick that box and tell Rachel we've done that. Then I'll be introducing a new initiative called Coffee with Linda so I can tell you about how busy I am while you sit quietly and love every minute.

So rest assured, whilst my title might have changed, my unique management style has not people leader, line manager, emperor of Middle Management. Who cares? Call her what you like. Don't forget your time sheets are still due in by four o'clock on the dot.”

Sadly, Linda's not alone when it comes to thinking that the title is all that matters because the big question is, is it just about titles? Well, you might have noticed that some organisations are experimenting now with titles like people Leader instead of Line Manager. It might seem like a small shift in language, but it actually reflects something bigger.

Potentially, companies are beginning to recognise that managing tasks and leading people are not the same thing. And as with all change, there is a catch. You can change a title on someone's email signature without changing how they behave. A badge that says people leader doesn't automatically make you one. And here's where the real difference comes in, because managers often focus on tasks, systems and outputs, very much needed.

But the great leaders balance those things with people. Their clarity, motivation, growth, and wellbeing. So this episode isn't really about what you're called. It's about whether you are doing the things that great leaders do or whether you are missing the human part of your role.

What managers often do well is a great big list of things. To give them some credit, they keep organisations functioning. They approve holiday requests and expenses. They track KPIs and project deadlines. They often deliver performance reviews and make sure compliance and policies are followed, and they importantly report upwards to senior leaders.

And these things definitely matter. They stop chaos from creeping in. Imagine if nobody approved budgets or checked quality control. It would be carnage.

There is a limitation to this style because when that's all you do, your people don't experience true leadership. They experience administration. They feel like cogs in a machine. Yeah, sure the work gets done, but often without energy, loyalty or creativity.

And if you've ever worked for someone who was efficient, organised, maybe even fair, but utterly uninspiring, that's management without leadership.

So what do great leaders do that everyday managers miss? Well, they zoom out from the task list and zoom in on people.

They do things like this. They set and communicate a vision. They explain not just what needs doing, but why it matters. They coach rather than just supervise, they build people's confidence and capability so those people can take on more. They also build trust through fairness, consistency, and honesty, importantly, they balance accountability with empathy.

They don't shy away from high standards, but they enforce them in ways that motivate rather than terrify. They also model vulnerability. I've talked about Brene Brown before, but she puts it brilliantly. Having the courage to say I don't have all the answers, actually builds trust and psychological safety.

So great leaders understand that results come through people, not in spite of them. Why does this difference really matter? Well, it's easy to think as long as the work gets done, who cares? But the difference between managing and leading shows up everywhere.

First of all, performance. Gallup research shows teams with engaged managers are 21% more productive. Pure task management doesn't engage people, leadership does. Also staff retention - people don't leave companies, as they always say, people leave bad managers, but a leader who shows care and creates growth opportunities tends to keep talent.

And then there's your culture. Your organisational values aren't defined by the posters on the wall, but by what people experience in real life from their direct manager. That's what real culture is. so talking about titles might sound like semantics, but behaviours aren't. They're the difference between short term compliance and long-term commitment.

I quite often see organisations accidentally creating managers who miss this leadership piece. It's a pattern I see quite frequently. So you get a, a brilliant engineer, promoted to engineering manager, a top sales person promoted to sales manager.

They excelled in their technical work, but now they're responsible for people and that's a completely different job. Instead of writing code or closing deals, they're expected to coach, motivate, and handle conflict, but they're rarely trained in how, so what do they do? They fall back on what they know, the technical side. They stick to the tasks, processes and control because that feels safe. And then they neglect the people side. And that's how we end up with armies of accidental managers. I've talked about it before in a previous podcast, but they miss the leadership piece entirely. It's not their fault, it's just they don't get the training or support they need.

So what does great leadership look like in practice? What does it look like when someone makes that shift? It's often not really dramatic. It's often quite simple. It's the consistent behaviours that build over time.

Six essentials I see again and again out of really good leaders are clarity. People need to know what success looks like, why it matters, and their role in it. Vagueness kills motivation. Secondly, care. Take a real interest in people's wellbeing and growth. Ask questions that show you see them as humans, not just job titles.

Now, I know often people say to me, I just haven't got time to take an interest in people. But if you don't invest the time, then they'll never get better at their jobs. They'll never start problem solving. They'll never start taking initiative. So it's worth the investment early to build a good relationship and show a real interest.

Be curious as well. This is the third point. Don't just jump in with the answer every time or criticise the other person's idea. Maybe ask, how would you solve this? Or, I'm curious, how did that come about? What was your train of thought when you came up with that idea?

Even if you think it's a rubbish one, you might find out some really interesting information and it also builds that ownership and trust I've been talking about. the next one is challenge. Great leaders don't shy away from high standards. They challenge, but they do it with encouragement instead of fear.

And then the right kind of control, not micromanagement, but enough structure and autonomy so people can thrive without burning out. and then lastly, community heard me talk about this before, fostering belonging. Teams that feel connected, perform better. So those six points are clarity, care, curiosity, talk about those every podcast, but also challenge, control and community.

So notice how none of these involve spreadsheets, forms, or time sheets. They're about how you show up with people. So what practical shifts can you make to go from manager to leader? How do you step out of the pure manager role and into leadership?

Here are five shifts that make a huge difference. First of all, audit your week. Have a look at how much of your time is spent in admin versus people conversations. If it's 80/20 admin, you've probably got a problem and you need to flip it. Have a look at booking intentional people time. Don't just meet when there's a project update or when you can squeeze it in between other things. Actually schedule space to talk about growth, wellbeing, and ideas. and then a reminder to start with curiosity. Try opening one-to-ones with what's on your mind. You'll be amazed what surfaces. And then look for micro moments. Look for opportunities to give positive feedback.

Encouragement. A quick thank you. Leadership doesn't only happen in formal settings.

Importantly explain the why. Managers say, do this. Leaders say, here's why it matters. And that small shift creates motivation. It's not about adding hours to your week, it's about using the ones you've got differently.

A word about authority. One fear I hear a lot and I've covered in another podcast is if I focus too much on people, I'll lose authority. But actually the opposite is true. Managers rely only on positional authority. Do it because I'm your boss. Leaders earn personal authority.

I'll follow you because I respect you and you don't need a title for that. One vanishes when the organisation chart changes the other sticks. Which one do you want?

So obviously there are times when you need to be both a manager and a leader. It doesn't mean ignoring management because you're taking a leadership stance. Someone has to balance the budgets, track the deadlines, and make sure compliance is followed. But the sweet spot is when you integrate the two, manage the work and lead the people, ensure compliance and build engagement, tick the boxes and raise the energy.

That's when teams really thrive.

As with everything, there are common pitfalls, which I'd encourage you to avoid because managers most often miss the leadership piece. By doing these things over cheerleading, pretending everything is fine. When it isn't, people see through it. Negativity, bias, only focusing on what's wrong drains energy fast and then inconsistency.

You know, one day, cheerful the next day. Panicked teams can handle bad news. What they can't handle is unpredictability in their leader.

Great leaders balance, honesty and hope they steady the ship.

I'd encourage you to use humour wisely. A shared laugh, even a small one, is often a really good tension breaker.

But just be mindful of who you've got in the room. The humour shouldn't be at anybody's expense.

A final reflection. Here's the real question. What would your team say if I asked them whether you were more of a manager or a leader? Do they see you ticking boxes or inspiring them? Do they experience supervision or growth? Do they feel like tasks to be managed or people to be developed? Now, if you don't like the answer, don't worry.

Most managers were never trained in leadership. The good news is you can start today. Not only will your team members feel more motivated, but you'll feel calmer too, and that balance is what real leadership looks like. If you'd like more support on this, please do have a look at my website where you'll find all my services Waterfall hill.co.uk.

That's all for today's episode of How to Lead, and until next time, if you want to be less like Linda and more like an inspirational leader, keep leading with care, curiosity and clarity. If you've enjoyed this episode, please do follow for more leadership insights and spend a moment either liking, leaving a review, or sharing with your fellow leaders to help spread the word about the How To Lead podcast. It's really very much appreciated. The best leaders are clear on the vision, care about their people, and approach interactions with curiosity, not judgment.

Until next time, be less like Linda and more like the inspirational leader you want to be.