Interestingly, many believe that transitioning into a managerial role comes naturally, with time. The progression is expected to happen automatically, one fine day, after having spent a certain number of standard years of working.

There is obviously nothing further from the truth. Over the years, my work gave me the opportunity to associate with several Managers - some adored, some feared, and some loathed! In this post, I put down my experiences and observations around this subject, so an aspiring or practicing "Manager" has a fair idea of the role, what it takes, and what differentiates the average herd from the best of the pack.

First - The role of the "Manager" in a business is perhaps very unique in its own way. Why?
- It is at this level that strategy, plans, roadmaps begin to be churned into products, sales and customer experiences.

Below this level, work is mostly "execution" and responsibility for self. Above this level, work is mostly "strategy and direction". It's at this level that strategy significantly overlaps with execution. It's where "the rubber meets the road".

Are you a Manager? - Defining the Role
Two things clearly bring out the essence of the Manager's profile:
- Accountability for Operational Results: A Manager carries the ownership for the results from the execution: This demands planning, laying out clear instructions, monitoring progress and meeting project challenges and deadlines, day to day.
- Execution through People: (S)he delivers results through a group that works under his/her authority: This demands ensuring the right talent is inducted, tasked and driven to perform and deliver.

Irrespective of what they call you by title(Lead, Supervisor, Coordinator, Director, VP..), if your scope of work includes the above, you are almost certainly performing a Manager's role and what follows below does relate to you.

The Manager's Challenge
What is one of the most difficult aspects of a Manager's role? 
What characteristic separates the bulk of the "herd" from the "best of the pack"?
It's about the ability of keeping one eye on the "here and now", running through the execution while simultaneously looking at the medium/longer term horizon, working on taking the team to the next level by watching the the road ahead, analyzing "how we're doing", and planning for improvements. It's like riding two horses at the same time! It's far from easy but is a defining differentiator between the "run of the mill" and the "best of the best".

Why is it a challenge?
Let's admit it. It's very easy to get sucked into the demands on the"Task" side - the never ending pressure to deliver results today, which BTW is obviously VERY important, for a slack on this front would perhaps not let you see another tomorrow. However, and this is what's important - Given the heat of the moment, it's equally easy to put off the medium/long term analysis and improvement efforts for some other day.
Guess what - that another day never shows up!

"Marathon" or "100m Dash"?
Staying focused purely on the task surely gets you off to a great start!
However, only after the first few miles, the difference between the "Herd" and the "Best of the Pack" starts to emerge.

Lack of longer term focus on the building the team gradually shows up in many forms
- Loss of enthusiasm, burnout and most importantly a trust deficit, that leads to
- Lower Engagement, Productivity & eventually, Attrition

For a manager running the 100m dash, all the time & attention is consumed by the day-to-day tasks & deadlines leaving little or no time for anything else. For him, it's fair to use people for as long as they meet a task's requirement. When this ceases to happen, for whatever reason, it's easiest to replace and get someone new on board who can "hit the ground running". People are used and discarded based on their need pertaining to the task on the table.

What do the marathon managers do differently?
First and most important - They own their team. They own their team's liabilities(weaknesses) as much as their assets(strengths). They understand their team's aspirations and how to align this with the objectives they are expected to deliver, not just today, but for all times in the future. 

How do the "marathon managers" do it?
The marathon managers 
- Continually take the time to mentor their team through one-one feedback interactions
- Assess gaps between individual aspirations & capability and and demonstrate their genuine intent to bridge this, and, 
- Informally experiment by pushing people into new roles/challenges that helps them to proactively stay aligned with changing team aspirations and business objectives.

All this, while continuing to meet execution expectations!

In case there is a fallout of a resource, as far as possible, the preferred course of this manager is to try to fill this from within the existing team by moving someone in the succession chain and promoting growth from within. This of course requires proactively building a succession chain at multiple layers to meet such a contingency when it arises.

Compare this with the approach to a similar situation in the former case above and the difference is striking.

Little surprise then that they create a system of solid trust where people believe someone is thinking about them, their aspirations, working with them on overcoming their weaknesses, most importantly preparing them for a future. This obviously sets the foundation for a deeper relationship where work engagement, loyalty flourish and execution performance soars.

Drawing a parallel from the military world, think of an officer commanding his unit of troops. I was recently talking with an officer from the armed forces on the same subject. This is what he had to say -
 - "Your troops are willing fight beside you provided they know you'll stand by them"
- "Your troops are willing to place their lives in your hands provided they know you'll place their safety and welfare ahead of yours"
- Ever heard of an officer who dumped or deserted his soldier in battle? On the contrary there are several tales of officers such as Captain Vikram Batra who was killed, going back trying to rescue one of his injured men in the heat of battle in July 1999.

Yes - The corporate world is a shade different from the battlefield but there are lessons in management, leadership & teamwork that apply well in both environments.