Leadership and Management

In many organizations, we talk about the “lack of leadership at the top” or the “disconnect at the middle.” But what if these are not separate issues, what if they are consequences of the same root cause?
Too often, people climb the corporate ladder not because they are prepared to lead, but because they were great at executing. We promote high performers into management roles and assume they will instinctively know how to inspire, coach, and support others.
But doing the job well is not the same as leading the people who now do that job.
Leadership requires a completely different skill set, one that involves emotional intelligence, communication, humility, and the ability to build trust. And yet, how many organizations truly invest in helping their managers develop these skills?
Middle managers are expected to be the bridge between strategy and execution, but too often they’re left without a map or even the right shoes.
That’s when organizations begin to break down. Morale suffers. Talent leaves. Performance plateaus. Not because people don’t care, but because they were never taught how to lead.
We don’t just need more managers. We need more education. More mentorship. More humility. More leaders who understand that trust is built, not inherited with a title.
If we want stronger organizations, we need to stop assuming leadership is innate and start treating it like the craft it is.
Let’s raise the bar, not just the title.