The challenge of second-level leadership (managing managers)

🚀 Introduction

Becoming a manager is a big step, but managing other managers is a completely different challengeIf before your success was tied to your work and the results of your team, now your priority is Help your managers become effective leaders.

It's often thought that managing managers means simply supervising their work, correcting mistakes, and evaluating results. But this is a limited view. The real task of a second-level leader is to develop autonomous leadership, creating a culture of growth and responsibility.

🎯 The transition from manager to leader of managers

When you move to managing managers, your role changes radically. You are no longer just an executor of strategies, but the creator of the conditions in which the strategies work.

⚠️ The most common mistakes in managing managers

• ❌ Micromanagement: thinking that without your intervention the work won't be done well.
• ❌ Lack of delegation: not trusting enough to give managers space.
• ❌ Focus on numbers, not people: forgetting that an effective team starts with effective leaders.
• ❌ Insufficient feedback: not offering enough support and discussion.

🔥 The 5 pillars for managing managers effectively

1️⃣ Be the leadership role model you want to see

A fundamental principle of leadership is that people don't do what you say, they do what they see.

💡 Practical example: If you want your managers to give their teams autonomy, but at the same time control their every decision, the message you're sending is the opposite of what you're saying.

✅ Demonstrate with facts the behavior you want to see in your managers.

2️⃣ Moving from control to driving

Many leaders think their job is to monitor the work of managers, but in reality the most important role is help them grow and lead their team effectively.

📌 Key questions to coach your managers in leadership:

• *"What is the biggest challenge your team is facing?"*
• *"What actions are you taking to develop your employees?"*
• *"Is there anything I can do to help you be a better leader?"*

3️⃣ Recognize and value managers in front of their teams

🔹 A manager's authority depends not only on his skills, but also on how he is perceived by his collaborators.

✅ Praise publicly, correct privately.

🏅 Strategies to strengthen their leadership:

• Entrust them the presentation of important results in strategic meetings.
• Ask their opinion on key decisions in front of their team.
• He publicly emphasizes their successes and progress.

4️⃣ Observe without micromanaging

⚖️ How to find the right balance?

• ✅ Supervise, don't replace. Observe but let them make decisions.
• ✅ Give feedback after seeing them in action. Attend a meeting without speaking, then discuss with them what to improve.
• ✅ Avoid speaking directly to their team without involving them. This belittles them and creates confusion.

5️⃣ Give space and personalize training

📚 How to create personalized growth paths?

1. 🔎 Analyze current skills of each manager.
2. 📖 Offer targeted training: individual coaching, courses, mentoring.
3. 🏆 Make room for practical experience, having them lead complex projects.

✅ Conclusion – are you a boss or a leader of leaders?

🔹 Your success is not measured by how many problems you solve, but by how many leaders you develop.

💡 Three practical steps to get started right away:

• ✅ Ask your managers how much time they dedicate to team development.
• ✅ Identify a key skill that each manager needs to improve.
• ✅ Start delegating important decisions to strengthen their autonomy.

📢 What strategy can you implement right away? Let us know in the comments!

🔗 Open Source Management Resources

📚 Insights into managing managers

🔗 Other resources for further study