The Transition from Technician To Manager To Leader

Many of the businesses that I’ve worked with have started ‘by accident’ rather than ‘by design’.

A typical example that I see would be somebody being made redundant, or deciding that they can do this themselves, and subsequently utilising the skills they’ve learned in their role in order to go it alone.

Most business owners start as the ‘technician’ in their business as a result of this.

The owner of a plumbing business most likely started off as a plumber. The owner of an accountancy firm started life as an accountant…

And at some point, they began to get busier and employed people to help them, and before they knew it, they were running a multi-faceted business and are no longer the ‘plumber’ or the ‘accountant’ – there’s a new role as ‘manager’ that they probably aren’t prepared for.

Most business owners learn this bit ‘on the fly’ and if they could start again, would almost certainly place more emphasis on how to run a business at an earlier stage.

So now there’s a decision to be made if your plan is to scale to even bigger and better things – how do you let go of the ‘day-to-day’ and focus more on leading your team?

Running a business involves wearing many hats (Head of Marketing, Sales, Operations, Finance, HR, Systems, etc. as well as being the MD), but the true evolution from technician to  manager to leader happens when you delegate tasks that are not your strong suit, you don’t enjoy, or that fall below your value per hour.

Embracing this mindset shift allows you to focus on what you do best and delegate the rest to capable individuals.

Leadership isn’t about doing everything yourself; it’s about leveraging your strengths and building a team that complements your weaknesses. Leaders create leaders.

Here’s a few ideas on how you could start to go about this….

1. Identify and Let Go

Begin by identifying tasks that you’re not good at, don’t enjoy, or that are below your highest value per hour. Letting go of these tasks frees up your time to focus on strategic, high-value activities that drive your business forward and costs you less (relative to the value you can generate)

2. Hire Great Talent

Prioritise hiring people who excel in the areas you’ve let go of. This not only fills the gaps in your business but also brings new skills and perspectives to the table.

3. Delegate Responsibility and Accountability

Trust your new hires with responsibility and accountability. Clearly define their roles and expectations, and give them the autonomy to make decisions. This empowers them to take ownership and perform at their best.

4. Focus on Strategic Leadership and Management

With the right team in place, shift your focus to strategic leadership. Spend your time on activities that align with your strengths and vision for the business. This includes setting long-term goals and well structured plans, measuring performance, fostering a positive company culture, and driving innovation.

Clinging to tasks that you’re not suited for or that don’t bring value can lead to all sorts of issues – working too many hours, becoming a ‘busy fool’, stifling the growth in your team.

It’s inevitable as your business scales that you’ll find yourself in this position at some stage – the key is to recognise this as quickly as possible and take the steps I’ve detailed above to put yourself in the best position to progress!

So what’s the next step on the journey for you? Technician to Manager? Or Manager to Leader? What’s your plan to achieve this transition?