"Rome wasn't built in a day, nor by a single pair of hands."

This truth echoes through my career, where I've been blessed to work with exceptional teams. Any success I've achieved is primarily their triumph.

(Standard disclaimers apply. This is limited by my current subjective experience and inability to attribute right causality more than half the times.)

Luck or skill? The jury's out. But here's what I learned when I truly became a manager—not when I got the title, but when I actually understood the job.

A great manager has four crucial roles. Not ten. Not twenty. Four.

Run alongside your team like a blocker in American football. Your job isn't to teach or help—it's to clear obstacles so they can "run like the wind" with the ball.

They have the talent. They have the drive. What they often lack is a clear path.

Approvals stuck in bureaucracy? Bust through. Cross-functional friction? Smooth it out. Resource constraints? Fight for what they need.

You're not carrying the ball. You're making sure nothing stops the person who is.

Be their thought partner. Don't think for them—create a safe space where they can explore ideas freely.

Help them reframe problems. Help them prioritize competing demands. Help them stress-test their decisions before committing.

Your job isn't to decide. Your job is to elevate their thinking.

The best sounding boards don't provide answers. They ask the questions that unlock better answers from the person doing the work.

Be their first call when mistakes happen.

Take the heat publicly. Protect your team from the fallout. You can address issues privately—that's your responsibility. But externally, your role is to make risk-taking safe and preserve their dignity.

If your team is afraid to fail, they'll never take the swings that lead to breakthroughs. Your shield is what makes boldness possible.

Own the failures publicly. Credit the wins to them. This isn't martyrdom—it's the job.

Sometimes, your presence alone is powerful.

I once stayed all night with my engineering team during a major project crisis. I don't know how to code. I couldn't debug their systems or write a single line that would help.

But I served coffee. I bought cigarettes for the smokers. I offered laughs during breaks. I just... was there.

That night mattered. Not because I contributed technical skill, but because I showed up. Presence communicates something words can't: "You're not alone in this."

That's it. Four roles, nothing more, nothing less.

Barrier Buster — clear the path Sounding Board — elevate their thinking Shield — make risk-taking safe Simply Be — show up when it matters

It's about empowering your team to shine while providing unwavering support. The spotlight isn't for you. Your job is to make sure they have one.

What roles do you play for your team?

~Discovering Turiya@work@life