Managing people is the ultimate test of adaptability.
We all know that context-switching is bad. Yet somehow, as managers we must learn to switch hats faster if we wish to lead effectively. It takes work to get better at all these different roles—after 2 years as a manager, I'm still learning every day.
I hope that acknowledging all these different roles we play as managers can help you reflect on your journey and be more intentional about which area you want to improve.
The Coach
Micromanaging is THE best way to achieve results, said no one ever.
For the team to realise its potential, we need to guide from a higher level. Our job isn't to do the work—it's to create the conditions for others to grow and succeed. We can coach effectively by:
asking thoughtful questions: "what options did you consider?", "can you explain the trade-offs?", "what would you do differently in that other context?"
offering clear feedback: "your PR review was very detailed and caught some unexpected bug, good job!" or "your question was buried in the middle of your message, next time make it obvious to get faster help."
It's never a one-off—one-on-one's and team meetings are always great opportunities to wear that hat.
The Problem-Solver
When is the last time you had a day without surprises?
Whatever it may be, it's never a question of *if* there will be a problem to solve, but rather *when*—this has been a critical adjustment to my expectations. I found it much easier afterward to jump in at a moment's notice. We assess the context, we make decisions, and we unblock the team.
Some conflict arises—get people to talk it through and moderate the discussion.
The team is suddenly unsure which way to go—choose the most appropriate path forward.
The Visionary
When our teams are in the thick of it, they lose touch of the bigger picture.
in the middle of a long, painful migration, the work can feel endless. That’s when we reconnect it to the business impact: "This migration will unlock greater performance, which will improve the conversion rate by X% for every 100 ms we save!" This gives their tasks renewed meaning.
When the team lacks motivation, it's usually because they forgot why their work matters.
The Cheerleader
If we're not going to notice our team's achievements, who will?
Every small win is worth celebrating. Give credit to everyone involved. Push team members to share their successes—drafting that Slack announcement will help them gain recognition.
The Spokesperson
We speak on behalf of the team.
When people reach out, they see us as the team personified. Our words must reflect the team's identity. We must be transparent and ensure discussions don't get stuck in private messages.
We build bridges by offering help and protect the team's scope by establishing clear expectations.
The Organizer
Managing is also about handling the meta work to support the team.
Sick days and time off requests.
Performance reviews and promotions.
Candidate interviews and onboarding.
Team meetings and processes.
The Enforcer
Well-functioning teams need standards.
We hold ourselves and the team accountable. When performance slips, we course-correct:
Clarify expectations with a team-wide message,
Organise retros to reflect and improve,
Propose process updates to serve the team better.
This isn’t about blame—it’s about maintaining the team’s identity and shared goals.