Coaches vs Managers: Why One Gets Praise, the Other Criticism
Preeth Pandalay
An executive turned transformation consultant with 25+ years of learning, Preeth trains and coaches... Read more
This blog is my way of expressing my anger at the renewed and repackaged attack on management professionals in the name of agile and agility.
How did the people that organizations relied on to get things done—trusted lieutenants and reliable partners—suddenly become the biggest enemies of organizational change?
A lot of my friends, coworkers, and connections have wanted to be managers. They went to the best B-schools and worked for years in companies to learn how to be a good leader and understand how a manager's job works.
Now that agile methodologies are here, all managers are suddenly seen as bad, and everyone wants to get rid of them. This story is not only unfair, but it also works against real change.
Role of a Manager in an Agile World
Let's be clear: the manager's job isn't going away in Agile; it's just changing.
We still need to take care of:
Outcome for the business and involvement of stakeholders
Processes, dependencies, and problems between teams
Deadlines, risks, and delivery goals
The way we work with teams is changing. At the team level, we don't need traditional people management anymore.
Instead, we need leaders who inspire us. These are people who know how to lead agilely and can help self-organizing teams succeed.
Difference Between a Leader And Manager
There is an ongoing debate about leaders vs. managers, which is often too simple.
The truth is that both are important. Leaders inspire vision and change in the culture, while managers ensure that things run smoothly.
You need both sides of the equation to make transformation work on a larger scale.
This is where the balance between leadership and management becomes very important.
Leadership gets people moving, while management keeps things moving forward. And great groups bring the two together instead of putting up walls.
Why Managers Push Back on Agile (And Why That’s Not a Bad Thing)
Middle managers usually have the best understanding of how things work in an organization, unlike top-level visionaries or engineering teams that work alone.
They try to make sense of the chaos that comes with change, which is caused by misunderstood frameworks and too-high expectations.
A lot of the time, what people call "resistance" is strategic pushback based on protecting the team, keeping promises, and giving real value within set limits.
Managers aren't against change; they're questioning how it was done wrong. When they do this, they often demonstrate the qualities of a leader, like bravery, foresight, and responsibility.
Qualities of a Good Leader That Managers Already Possess
So, what are the 5 qualities of a good leader in the Agile era?
Empathy: recognizing the needs of your team and establishing a secure environment for their success..
Adaptability: changing your leadership style depending on the situation.
Vision: linking everyday tasks to the bigger picture.
Integrity: defending morality even when it's not the most convenient or well-liked option.
Decisiveness: making decisions with clarity and assurance, particularly when under pressure.
These ideas aren't new. They’re real, effective leadership traits. Many managers have had these qualities of a leader for a long time, long before Agile made them popular.
Transformational Leadership: The Link Between Old and New
What is transformational leadership, and how does it fit with the changes that are happening in organizations today?
It's about:
Encouraging others to go beyond their limits
Getting people to work toward a goal
Promoting ownership and new ideas
Transformational leadership is more than just a theory; it's something you do. And many great managers already do it every day.
Organizations do well when people who know both structure and inspiration are in charge of leadership management.
Time to Stop Scapegoating Management
We need to stop blaming managers for every change that doesn't work. Instead, see them as:
People who make things happen
Holders of organizational memory
Leaders who can help Agile work
Let them lead with their effective leadership skills, not old labels. Today's managers can become the transformational leaders your organization needs if they have the right attitude.
Conclusion
The way to move forward isn't to eliminate management; it's to change it. We need leaders who can combine the best traits of a leader with the ability to manage well.
These leaders should have the traits of effective leaders while also embracing an agile leadership mindset—one that’s flexible, team-focused, and open to change.
Companies that successfully switch to agile will understand the difference between a leader and a manager and train people who can do both well. They will see transformational leadership as a new way to manage, not as a new way to replace management.
It is not the managers themselves; the wrong idea about management needs to be fixed. When we give managers the respect they deserve and see them as people who can make a difference, we unlock a powerful force for successful organizational change.
How many managers do you know who wake up daily thinking of ways to stop change? The Pareto principle applies here: we shouldn't judge the whole management profession by the actions of a few.
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What looks like resistance is often a valid pushback based on experience. Managers may question unrealistic expectations, vague frameworks, or poorly implemented change efforts.
Transformational leadership is about inspiring and enabling others to reach their full potential. It aligns perfectly with Agile values like collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement.
Not always. Failed transformations often stem from poor communication, rushed implementation, or lack of executive support—not just middle management behavior.
No. While team-level management changes, Agile frameworks still need organizational-level leadership and decision-making—often handled by evolved manager roles.
By listening more, giving up control, fostering collaboration, and seeing their role as an enabler instead of a supervisor. Coaching, feedback, and peer learning help too.
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Preeth Pandalay
An executive turned transformation consultant with 25+ years of learning, Preeth trains and coaches organizations to be agile and more importantly to stay agile. Preeth’s pragmatism finds its root in his diverse experience at various leadership positions.
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