Advisor I Mentor

Sparring partner

Piotr

Kania

A few years ago, being a good manager meant one thing: knowing how to keep things under control. Goals, timelines, status updates, KPIs, execution. Knowing who does what, when, and at what stage. Keeping an eye on everything. Streamlining processes. Minimizing risk. Delegating and following up.

But today… technology is doing more and more of that control for us. Or soon will. And it’s no longer just about ERP or CRM systems. We’re talking about AI that writes reports, summarizes meetings, assigns tasks, analyzes data, and detects problems before you even notice them.

In a world like that, someone whose main role is task management will soon become redundant. Because that “management” will happen automatically.

It’s not just the technology that’s changing. What really matters in working with people is changing too.

Many managers still operate based on standards that were considered best practice for years. A focus on control, solving problems quickly, ensuring that goals are delivered. That’s what senior leaders expected. That’s what earned you recognition — the ability to “handle it all.” The formula was simple: if your team is under control and delivers results, then things are working as they should.

But today’s environment is very different. Many of those “classic” responsibilities are increasingly being handled by technology. ERP and CRM systems are already standard, but now AI, automated analysis, bots generating reports, and data-driven workload planning are entering the scene. Tasks that once required vigilance now happen on their own — faster and often more accurately.

In this reality, the traditional role of the manager starts to lose meaning. That doesn’t mean managers are no longer needed. But the scope of their responsibility and the areas where they truly add value are shifting. It’s less about overseeing and reminding — and more about noticing and responding where technology can’t.

It’s about seeing that someone has stopped speaking up in meetings when they used to be active. It’s about sensing when tension is building before it starts affecting collaboration. It’s about asking what’s going on before someone mentally checks out or walks away.

These are moments no system will catch. And more often, these are the moments that determine whether a team really works as one.

Why do people stay or leave? More and more often, the answer sits in the office next door.

It’s not just tools and processes that are changing, but also how people think about work. Increasingly, people choose to stay at an organization not because everything functions well, but because they enjoy working with specific individuals. The phrase “I have a good boss” is becoming one of the main reasons someone stays — or goes.

And no, it’s not about being friends. People want a leader who speaks directly, is available, listens, and responds when it matters. They want to know that if something comes up, there’s someone they can talk to — and that conversation won’t just be another checkbox on someone’s calendar.

In any team, you can quickly tell if there’s trust. If there is, people talk. If there isn’t, they go silent — and problems quietly accumulate. And this isn’t just about atmosphere. It leads to very real outcomes: disengagement, a drop in initiative, a slow retreat from responsibility.

That’s why a manager’s effectiveness today isn’t measured just by results or task execution. What matters more is whether the team stays united. Whether people want to work with you. Whether they feel it’s worth speaking up, sharing an idea, or admitting a mistake. This isn’t a soft issue — it’s the foundation of a sustainable team. And no technology can replace it.

People want someone on the team who is direct, present, who listens and responds when needed. They want to know there’s a human being behind the role — and that conversations aren't just slots in a schedule.

This isn’t about a generational shift. It’s a change in the rules of the game.

In recent years, something deeper has changed — not just technology or tools, but the very attitude toward work. More and more people, especially younger generations entering the workforce, don’t define a career by promotion, prestige, or security. What matters to them is who they work with, how they feel in the team, whether they have space to be themselves, and whether their work has meaning beyond just completing tasks.

Some managers find this surprising. Until now, it was enough to provide a clear division of roles, fair treatment, work tools, pizza Fridays and fruit Thursdays. Today, that’s often not enough. Younger employees expect dialogue, flexibility, connection. They don’t want to be managed from a distance. They want conversations. They want to know the “why” — not just the priority. They want impact and to feel their voice matters.

That doesn’t make them entitled. It means they don’t want to replicate the patterns they saw in their bosses or parents. They won’t work themselves into the ground just because “that’s how it’s done.” They won’t stay loyal to a company if they don’t feel that their presence matters.

This is where the manager's role becomes truly crucial. Because it’s no longer a title or function that makes a team work. It’s your daily presence, the way you communicate, your ability to listen and respond. Teams look at their manager and ask: do I want to work with this person? Is this someone who creates space, supports, listens, and shows respect? Someone who makes work feel like more than a to-do list?

That’s why modern leadership isn’t about a bold style. It’s about dozens of small decisions. Whether you make time to talk when something feels off. Whether you ask for input before making a team-affecting decision. Whether you're available even when you don’t have the answers. These aren’t gestures. This is leadership — just a different kind than before.

Because today, being a boss isn’t a position. It’s the quality of your presence. It’s how people speak about you when you're not in the room.

The manager's role is more critical than ever. It’s not the function that keeps a team together. It’s your conversations, your presence, your awareness.

This isn’t about style. It’s about survival.

If you’re still operating on the “assign–check–correct” model, you’re in the risk group. Maybe you still deliver. Maybe your team runs without drama. But that doesn’t mean you’re ready for what’s already happening — let alone what’s coming.

The signs that used to be easy to ignore are now pivotal. People don’t leave after a fight. They leave when they feel it’s no longer worth speaking. Projects don’t crash overnight. They break down when no one notices the moment something starts to drift — while it’s still fixable. Great teams fall apart quietly, behind a mask of “everything’s fine.”

If you want to be a future-ready manager, stop asking whether you’re doing “well enough.” Instead, ask yourself what you’re still doing the old way.

Here are six areas to reflect on. Not theory — practice.

1. Stop being available only when you need something.Being in meetings and answering emails doesn’t mean you’re present. Do people feel they can come to you with something that’s not tied to KPIs? When was the last time you asked someone how they’re doing — without checking on their task status? Presence isn’t just about managing workflow. It’s about showing up when you don’t have to, so people know they’re not alone.

2. Stop saying you have open communication if you don’t really listen.If people aren’t bringing up tough issues, it doesn’t mean there aren’t any. It means they tried once — and it led nowhere. Real openness is not a slogan. It’s the actions that follow conversations. If everything stays the same no matter what’s said, people won’t waste their energy. Your team doesn’t need more information. It needs more listening that leads to change.

3. Stop building your authority on control and perfection.AI will handle anything that can be predicted or coded. What it won’t do is notice when a team needs presence instead of procedure. You don’t need to have all the answers. You need to handle uncertainty without covering it up. Can you say: “I don’t have the solution yet, but I see the issue and I’m here with you”? That builds more trust than perfect calm and full control ever could.

4. Stop expecting engagement if you don’t give people influence.People don’t commit to things they can’t shape. If decisions are always made at the top and input is just for show, you're not building ownership — you're cultivating silence. A future-ready manager doesn’t control engagement, but creates conditions for it. Real influence includes disagreement and challenge. That’s not disrespect. That’s a sign of life.

5. Stop managing only tasks if you ignore energy and meaning.Just because tasks are getting done doesn’t mean the team is healthy. A modern manager asks not only what’s been delivered, but how people felt doing it. What mattered to them. What gave it meaning. When someone joins a meeting in silence and leaves the same way, it’s not neutral — it’s a signal. And if you don’t see it, no AI or dashboard will.

6. Stop hiding behind structure if you lack the courage to be human.If someone made a mistake and it puts the project at risk, don’t hide your reaction. Say it’s hard. Say you’re concerned. You don’t have to pretend nothing happened. That doesn’t weaken your leadership — it makes it real. Teams don’t need superheroes. They need someone who knows what they’re doing and doesn’t hide behind their title.

You don’t have to change. No one will force you. You can keep doing what you’ve always done. Just know that fewer people will want to work with you — and even if your boss praises you, your team may already have their bags packed.

This isn’t a trend. It’s a test for the future.

This isn’t a piece about being more empathetic. It’s not a guide to communication. It’s a warning. Because if you still think delivering results and avoiding mistakes is enough — you’ve already missed the shift.

The train has left. No whistle. No extra stop. You’re either on it — or left standing with your phone in hand, wondering why “everything that used to work” suddenly doesn’t.

Being a future-ready manager isn’t about style. It’s about whether you bring real value — or just hold a formal role. More and more, these are two very different things.

So ask yourself one final question:Are you truly leading your team — or just sitting in the front carriage of a train that no longer belongs to you?