Managing 60 People With No Experience: Why Flexibility Beats Formulas
When I was asked to manage a team of 60 people, I had no formal leadership training, no management playbook, and no real roadmap - just an urgent need to get things done and make sure no one burned out in the process.
Looking back, I realize that this trial-by-fire experience taught me more about leadership than any textbook or MBA course ever could. The biggest lesson?
Leadership is a spectrum - not a fixed identity.
From Chaos to Clarity: Finding My Leadership Philosophy
At first, I defaulted to what many first-time leaders do: I tried to be involved in everything. I was present, responsive, supportive… and unknowingly overwhelming.
Some team members appreciated it. Others felt micromanaged. Some thrived with structure. Others shut down without autonomy. And that’s when it clicked: There is no one-size-fits-all leadership style.
Leadership Is a Spectrum - And You Need to Know Where to Stand
Some people on my team needed:
Clear goals
Regular check-ins
Explicit instructions
Others needed:
Room to experiment
Trust to own outcomes
The freedom to set their own pace
Neither group was right or wrong. They were just different - and both capable of doing incredible work.
So instead of leading from one fixed point, I began shifting along the spectrum of leadership: From hands-on to hands-off. From directive to collaborative. From being a guide to being a mirror. I did not do it perfectly. But I did it deliberately.
The Real Skill: Reading the People You Lead
What I discovered is that leadership is not about control or charisma - it’s about awareness. The best leaders do not impose a style - they adapt one.
They ask:
What motivates this person?
When do they shine?
What do they need from me today that’s different from yesterday?
And they listen - not just with their ears, but with their attention and intention.
What I Know Now
I managed 60 people without prior training, but what I gained was invaluable:
Empathy! Always, choose empathy.
Flexibility over formulas.
So if you are ever thrown into leadership before you think you are ready - good.
You will learn that leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It is about learning how to find the right approach for each person, one relationship at a time.
Because at the end of the day, people do not follow leaders - they follow clarity, trust, and respect.
