Welcome to The Subtle Shift, a weekly newsletter where I share small but powerful ideas to help you lead with clarity, inspire change, and create a lasting impact. This week, I want to discuss a subtle but critical distinction that can change the way you look at your own value: the difference between management and leadership.
The Humble Leader’s Dilemma
I was recently speaking with a friend who is an incredible leader. She runs an organization dedicated to biomedical and public health research that provides an essential service to the world. She’s built something extraordinary, yet you’d never hear her say that if you met her.
She is one of the most humble leaders I’ve ever met. She’s dedicated to the mission, deeply caring, trustworthy, and the furthest thing from a self-promoting egomaniac you could imagine. Her leadership has shaped the organization’s success, but she never takes credit for it. Instead, she attributes every win to her team.
Now, she’s ready for a new challenge, looking to step into a new role. But she’s uncomfortable explaining her value—because, for years, she’s downplayed it. And this is a common challenge for humble leaders.
They work behind the scenes, quietly empowering others. They do fantastic work, but because they see success as a team win, they hesitate to claim ownership of their accomplishments. While humility is admirable, it can work against you when searching for new opportunities. People want to hear your story. They need to understand the impact you’ve made.
And that led to a meaningful conversation I want to share with you.
The Subtle Distinction Between Management and Leadership
There’s a fine but crucial line between management and leadership—one that, if left unrecognized, can create a swirling sense of confusion about your value.
The distinction is simply this:
Management and leadership create value in different ways.
When you lead an organization, the organization’s accomplishments are your accomplishments. Not because you micromanaged every detail but because your leadership made those accomplishments possible. The great Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once summed this up perfectly when he said: “When the best leader’s work is done, the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’” This is the ultimate value of leadership—creating the conditions for success without needing to be the center of it.
The Difference in Action
Leaders and managers both play essential roles, but their approaches are fundamentally different:
- Managers direct, oversee, and take a hands-on approach to making things happen. They ensure tasks are completed, plans are executed, and teams stay on track. They give feedback, solve problems, and direct others toward a specific outcome.
- Leaders cast vision, empower others, and create an environment where great things happen. They collaborate, build trust, provide support, and step back so others can shine. They don’t control every detail; they create the conditions for success.
A manager’s success is measured by how well they manage tasks.
A leader’s success is measured by how well they empower people.
Why This Distinction Matters
If you’ve spent years leading and struggling to articulate your value, you might be stuck in a manager’s mindset—measuring your worth by the tasks you personally completed rather than the impact of the organization you shaped.
Humble leaders, in particular, need to recognize this:
- Your value lies in your leadership.
- Your leadership made the wins possible.
- Your vision set the direction.
- Your trust in others allowed them to thrive.
And when you step into new opportunities, owning that leadership is not arrogance—it’s simply recognizing reality.
Shifting from Invisible to Indivisible
If you’ve been downplaying your role, try this subtle shift:
- Instead of saying, “It was all the team,” say, “I built a team that accomplished amazing things.”
- Instead of saying, “I just supported them,” say, “I created an environment where they could do their best work.”
- Instead of saying, “I didn’t do it myself,” say, “Through my leadership, we achieved incredible results.”
Leadership isn’t about taking all the credit. It’s about acknowledging the role you played in making success possible.
So, if you’re a leader—especially a humble one—remember this: Your leadership matters. Own it.
Here’s to stepping into the next opportunity with clarity, confidence, and a deep understanding of the value you bring. And if you think this message would be helpful to others, please forward this to someone else and encourage them to join the community.
Until next time, keep making those subtle shifts.
