→ Individual contributors focus on being great.
→ Managers focus on being great at ensuring a group of people or set of entities achieve something great.
→ Leaders focus on being great at helping other people be great.
These three different functions and foci demand different skill sets and mindsets.
Just because you excel in one function doesn’t mean you’re equipped with the skills sets and mindsets to excel in another. Just as a great individual contributor isn’t necessarily a great manager, a great manager isn’t necessarily a great leader, and vice versa. Moreover, excelling at one function doesn’t preclude you from learning the skill sets and mindsets needed to excel in another.
The expectations and requirements to succeed at some roles are limited to just one of these three functions, while others require a combo of two, or even all three. Job titles—and even job descriptions—don’t necessarily reflect this.
Teams falter when members are unclear and misaligned about which people in which roles need to serve which functions.
When you get clear about and aligned on this, it’s much easier to ensure all team members are equipped with the necessary skills sets and mindsets to succeed in their roles, which ultimately supports the collective success of the team.
