Maybe this is oversimplified, but it’s something I’ve noticed and talked about a bit. The difference between the 8-box of crayons and the mega box, 200 w the fancy sharpener in the back.
Systems management can get by with an 8-box of crayons. Processes don’t have feelings. Machines don’t have bad days (sort of). Work instructions don’t need twenty different interpretations. Consistency wins.
People are different. People management requires the 200-box.
Every employee is motivated differently. Every conversation is different. One person needs encouragement. Another needs accountability. One needs confidence. Another needs challenged. You can’t lead everyone with the same color.
That’s why some incredible process managers struggle as leaders. They try to solve people the same way they solve processes… People aren’t processes.
Leadership isn’t about finding the one right answer. It’s about understanding the person standing in front of you and knowing which crayon to pick up.
The best leaders know when to think like an engineer or cfo… and when to think like a coach.