Influence, not authority: The evolving role of managers
For decades, we treated managers as the keepers of authority. Their power was positional, rooted in hierarchy: assign tasks, approve time off, conduct one-way annual reviews.
But something has shifted—quietly at first, then all at once.
The pandemic didn’t invent the transformation of management, but it accelerated it. As office doors closed and home offices (or kitchen counters) opened, the boundaries between personal and professional lives dissolved. Employees began to re-examine not just where they worked, but why they worked, and for whom.
In that moment of collective re-evaluation, one truth became impossible to ignore: people don’t leave companies, they leave managers. And they don’t stay for perks or ping-pong tables. They stay for connection, trust, and a sense of belonging that no organizational chart can provide.
Today, the most successful managers don’t hold their power over people. They’re influencers in the truest sense of the word—not social media celebrities, but individuals whose credibility is earned through empathy, consistency, and the ability to inspire.
As Steve Jobs alluded to “it’s not about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, it is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could”
If culture is the soul of an organization, managers are its heartbeat. They determine whether culture is merely a set of words on a website or a living, breathing experience felt every day. They translate the strategy of where we are headed into the roadmap of how we will get there. They’re often the first to hear the quiet worries or unspoken ambitions that shape an employee’s experience. A supportive manager can be the difference between someone disengaging or discovering the best work of their career.
This isn’t to say that structure or accountability no longer matters, far from it. But the foundation has shifted. Employees today expect their managers to be coaches, not just taskmasters. To provide clarity and remove obstacles, not simply assign deliverables. To cultivate trust that doesn’t hinge on fear, but on shared purpose.
The new era of management
The new era of management requires different muscles: emotional intelligence, adaptability, and a willingness to model vulnerability. It requires leaders who understand that influence can only be granted, not demanded.
When we empower managers to lead through influence, we build organizations that are more resilient and more human. We create environments where employees feel safe to take risks, to innovate, and to bring forward the ideas that will define our future.
At Flexential, we’re investing in this evolution. We’re equipping managers with the tools and training to shift from command-and-control to guide-and-grow. We’re redefining success not just by business metrics, but by the health and engagement of the teams they steward.
As the new model of leadership arises—it’s clear that to truly lead is not to command from above, but to stand beside, to listen deeply, and to shape what’s possible through influence.
That’s the future of management. And it’s one we’re proud to champion at Flexential.
