In many companies, managers are mistakenly viewed as people who merely relay the owners’ decisions to employees. But that is perhaps the smallest part of their job. The real challenge begins when they must understand two realities that often clash, yet both have their own reasons.
The owner usually speaks the language of survival, money, deadlines, payment collection, risks, and results. Employees speak the language of fatigue, fairness, security, respect, and day-to-day pressures. If a manager does not understand both languages, they are not leading. They are merely passing noise from one room to another.
A good manager must not convey to the owner only what the owner wants to hear; otherwise the company is left without a true picture. Nor should they tell employees only what they want to hear; otherwise the system lacks clarity.
Their job is not to be anyone’s cheerleader. Their job is to protect the truth from distortion.
To tell the owner when a demand is unrealistic. To tell employees when an excuse is unjustified. To protect people from unnecessary pressure, but also the company from irresponsibility.
That is why a good manager is not recognized by how many orders they issue, but by how many misunderstandings they prevent before they turn into conflicts.
From the manuscript of the book “The Philosophy of Entrepreneurship.”
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