08/27/2026
I've been thinking a lot about how leading and managing are two separate skills (or separate groups of skills).
I think they're both taken for granted in the nonprofit sector. Individual contributors who are technically skilled are often given people to manage and lead, as a next step in career progression, even if they don't want to or feel unqualified to take on this responsibility.
🔹 They're thrust into these roles without formal training and often don't even know the definitions of leading and managing. They're not taught that managing and leading are skills, so they don't spend time or effort on developing them.
🔹 They manage and lead by default, rather than with intention, and their employees' work experiences depend on what kind of people the leaders are, rather than on organizing principles and values.
👉 This can lead to toxicity and dysfunction because the strengths and struggles of a leader inevitably work their way into the organization's culture in the absence of clearly defined and operationalized values.
It doesn't have to be this way.
If we're going to invest in our own and others' development of leadership and management skills, we first need to understand what they are.
đź”— There's a great article from the Economic Times that can help us do just that. A link to the article is in the comments.
[ID: A graphic featuring a glass chess set on a chessboard, divided vertically into two contrasting sides: a teal-blue background on the left and a light gray background on the right. Frosted and transparent chess pieces face each other, with a knight and rook prominently positioned in the foreground. Overlaid text reads, “Leaders Shape Management,” followed by: “While there is some overlap between the two roles, they are fundamentally different in their focus and skills. – Economic Times (link in the comments).”]
