The Management Path
When management is treated as just another promotion rather than as a calling, it leads to uninspired, ineffective and even toxic leadership - where managers are either ill-equipped, unmotivated, or focused on the wrong things.
July 4, 2025
For those who love working with people to grow in their roles and achieve their potential, who love building close-knit teams that thrive and accomplish amazing things together, management is a rewarding and fulfilling career.
Unfortunately, many believe that management is the only real path to career growth, rather than a distinct profession - a profession with its own unique motivations, skill sets and rewards. Many exceptional professionals become managers because it’s the only clear way to move forward in their career, not because they are passionate about leading people.
This is a huge issue. When management is treated as just another promotion rather than as a calling, it leads to uninspired, ineffective and even toxic leadership - where managers are either ill-equipped, unmotivated, or focused on the wrong things, like status and control. The result? Struggling teams, frustrated employees with untapped potential and a workplace culture that suffers immeasurably.
A great manager is someone who maximizes the potential of their employees, builds strong, high-performing teams, and forges mutually beneficial collaborations both within and beyond their immediate group.
Management as a Profession
Choosing to become a manager is not a mere promotion; it’s a shift into a different profession. A great manager is someone who maximizes the potential of their employees, builds strong, high-performing teams, and forges mutually beneficial collaborations both within and beyond their immediate group.
Management means:
- Creating opportunities for employees to develop skills, gain visibility with decision-makers, and take on meaningful challenges
- Understanding individual strengths and weaknesses, then facilitating growth and development
- Standing up for the team, taking responsibility, giving credit, and shielding them from unnecessary distractions
- Cultivating a strong team dynamic where collaboration thrives
- Helping team members advance in their careers
Leadership Without Authority
Leadership isn’t confined to management roles. Many individuals lead without formal authority, whether by mentoring colleagues, driving initiatives, or setting a high bar for performance. These informal leaders are vital to an organization’s success, shaping culture, fostering innovation and improving morale.
Companies that recognize and reward this kind of leadership create healthier, more engaged workforces. Encouraging leadership at all levels helps distribute responsibility and prevents management from becoming the only viable path for ambitious professionals.
The Rise of ICs
Historically, career progression has been synonymous with taking on management responsibilities. However, research suggests that many employees do not see management as their preferred career path. A study by Visier found that only 38% of individual contributors express interest in becoming people managers within their current organizations. This reinforces the importance of developing career paths that allow high-performing ICs to continue growing and contributing meaningfully without taking on management roles.
Additionally, a growing trend among senior talent is the move toward individual contributor roles rather than traditional management tracks. As highlighted by Frazer Jones, many experienced professionals are opting out of people management in favor of positions where they can leverage their expertise without the administrative burdens of leadership. If organizations fail to provide compelling IC career paths, they risk losing highly skilled employees who don’t want to manage but also don’t want to stagnate.
This shift is likely to accelerate with the advent of AI, which is expected to further flatten organizational structures and reduce the number of available management roles. Companies that rely solely on traditional hierarchical career advancement models may struggle to retain top talent as these changes unfold.
On a personal note, I’ve found great value in moving between IC and leadership roles throughout my career. Remaining highly technical has not only kept me engaged and fulfilled but also made me a stronger coach and leader when stepping into executive roles. This flexibility has been critical in maintaining a broad perspective and ensuring that my leadership remains grounded in real, hands-on experience.
Organizations should encourage and normalize this kind of career fluidity, allowing employees to transition between IC and leadership roles based on their evolving skills, interests, and contributions. However, pushing high performers into people management roles can dilute their impact and create disengaged leaders who would rather be honing their craft. Organizations must rethink growth paths and offer meaningful alternatives.
IC Career Paths
To accommodate the coming changes, companies can create:
- Technical Expert Tracks: Roles that allow employees to deepen their expertise and gain influence without taking on direct reports.
- Project Leadership Roles: Positions focused on driving initiatives, strategy, or mentorship without people management responsibilities.
- Hybrid Roles: Opportunities that blend leadership and deep technical work without forcing employees into full-time management.
A cautionary note - executives need to be intentional about how they engage highly ranked individual contributors in decision-making conversations. In many large organizations, high-level discussions tend to include only those at the top of management hierarchies. If companies fail to bring in senior ICs for critical discussions, they inadvertently disincentivize talented employees from pursuing non-management career paths, weakening both innovation and expertise at the highest levels.
A Conscious Choice
Stepping into management should be a deliberate decision, not an obligatory rung on the corporate ladder. It should be pursued by those who find fulfillment in enabling others, fostering healthy team dynamics and driving collective success.
For companies, the challenge is twofold: ensuring that managers truly want to lead and creating robust growth paths for those who don’t. In doing so, they cultivate stronger teams, more engaged employees, and a culture that values both leadership and expertise in equal measure.
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