From Manager to Senior Leader: Redefining What Success Means

One of the least visible, and most difficult, aspects of leadership development is the identity shift that leaders make when they progress into management, and then when they move from being a manager to senior leader. Leaders are not only asked to learn new skills; they are asked to see themselves differently. This shift changes what they value, how they measure success, and where they put their energy.

From Individual Contributor to Manager

The first major shift happens when someone moves from being an individual contributor to being a manager.

• Old identity: My value comes from my personal contributions.

• New identity: My value comes from enabling my team’s contributions.

This is more than a job change: it is a redefinition of value. Many new managers struggle to let go of the satisfaction and certainty of delivering work themselves. Instead, they must measure success by what others accomplish.

Mindset shift: From “I do it best” to “They do it well when I lead well.”

Behaviour shift: From doing the work to setting direction, giving feedback, and creating accountability.

Questions to ask yourself in this transition:

• Am I creating clarity for my team, or am I holding onto details I should delegate?

• Do I step in too quickly, or do I let others find their own solutions?

• Am I spending time coaching, or am I still measuring my value by output?

From Manager to Senior Leader

A second, equally profound shift happens when leaders move into senior leadership roles.

• Old identity: I work in service of my team’s effectiveness and growth.

• New identity: I work in service of the organization’s effectiveness and growth.

At this level, leaders must broaden their perspective. Their job is no longer just to optimize their team, it is to think and act for the good of the entire organization. That means tough trade-offs, cross-silo collaboration, and prioritizing organizational strategy over personal preferences.

Mindset shift: From “I succeed when my team succeeds” to “I succeed when the organization succeeds.”

Behaviour shift: From advocating primarily for one team to balancing organizational priorities, stewarding culture, and shaping strategy.

Questions to ask yourself in this transition:

• Do I make decisions with the whole organization in mind, even when it conflicts with my team’s short-term interests?

• Am I spending my time on strategy and culture, or am I still drawn back into operational details?

• Who do I see as my team: only my direct reports, or also the other leaders across the organization?

Areas of Growth in Identity Shifts

Beyond skills, these transitions ask leaders to pay attention to:

Success Metrics

• Managers: success is measured through the performance and growth of their team.

• Senior Leaders: success is measured through organizational progress, culture, and long-term impact.

• Ask yourself: How will I know I’ve been effective if my personal output isn’t the measure?

Time Priorities

• Managers: much time goes into supporting individuals and keeping work moving.

• Senior Leaders: time must shift toward strategic initiatives, culture shaping, and external relationships.

• Ask yourself: Is my calendar aligned with the most important priorities for the organization, or only my team?

Relationship Building

• Managers: focus on relationships within their team.

• Senior Leaders: build relationships across the leadership team, with the board, with partners, and with the wider system.

• Ask yourself: Am I nurturing the relationships that expand my perspective and influence across the organization?

Source of Confidence

• Managers: credibility comes from subject-matter expertise and team results.

• Senior Leaders: credibility comes from judgment, presence, and the ability to influence.

• Ask yourself: What makes me credible now? Am I willing to let go of being the expert?

Decision-Making Lens

• Managers: What’s best for my team?

• Senior Leaders: What’s best for the organization?

• Ask yourself: When I advocate, am I advocating for my team alone or for the system as a whole?

Why These Shifts Are So Difficult

Each transition involves letting go of something that once felt essential:

• The satisfaction of doing the work yourself.

• The comfort of measuring success through your team alone.

Leaders often describe these shifts as disorienting. They are being asked to loosen their grip on what gave them confidence and credibility in the past, and to trust in new, less immediate measures of success.

Supporting Leaders Through Identity Shifts

Because identity shifts are internal, they cannot be taught through training alone. They require reflection, dialogue, and practice. Leaders need:

• Space to reflect on how they define value and success.

• Feedback and coaching to see how their behaviour aligns (or misaligns) with their new role.

• Peer dialogue with others navigating the same transitions.

• Permission to experiment with new behaviours, and support to learn from missteps.

Many of these supports can be built into leadership development programs, coaching engagements, or facilitated retreats that give leaders the structure and accountability to grow into their new role.

Final Thought

Skills matter in leadership, but without the underlying identity shift, leaders remain stuck in old patterns. The real work of leadership development is not just teaching what to do, but helping leaders redefine who they are in the role, and what it means to serve at a broader level of responsibility.