Management and Leadership

The word management has a bad rap. Management may conjure up images of stuffy people in suits carrying stacks of papers in leather binders. Layers of bureaucracy. Pointless activities to maintain high-paying jobs in a hierarchy. Leadership, however, may be the look you’re striving for. Being the inspirational figure that others look up to. Giving a talk to your department to rapturous applause. Being on the 40 Under 40 list. However, these two words are not disparate. They are strongly linked.

Management is the method and tools that you use to perform your job as a manager. However, using them well, alongside being a humble and caring human being, will elevate you higher. You will act with respect, grace, and kind consideration and will provide honest, candid conversation. You’ll practice what you preach through your actions, and that will make you into a leader.

That’s because doing management diligently, skillfully, and empathetically is hard. It is a rare skill. But it’s a skill that you can harness if you read these pages, learn some new concepts, and then go out and do them. Management is a craft, much like writing software. You’ll get better every day. It’s an art, not a science. It’s a mixture of your creativity, your personality, your heart, your mind, your ethics, and your values. It is you. You can be a manager and leader that others look up to. That others want to work for. That you enjoy being every day.