Maker vs Manager

It’s a difficult tension for someone who has been the one creating for many years to switch gears into a mode of leading creatives. You’ve been “heads down” for so long on the ground level and now you’re tasked with leading your peers. This can cause all sorts of identity crises for a creative person. Here are a few things to keep in mind when making this shift to make it a position you can thrive in.

Keep creating. Yes, you’ll be less hands-on now than you once were, but stay connected to the stuff that brings you the most joy. Use your new platform to pick and choose which tasks you’d like to work on versus the ones you now have the opportunity to delegate.

A different perspective. View the team culture as what you get to create. The processes, systems, and climate that you may have previously complained about are now more under your control. You get to create the prime environment for others to create their best work in.

Multiplication. Watch how much more great content can be created when you have a team of creatives under your direction. The opportunity you have to multiply yourself here is far greater than any singular task you’ve been given before. Don’t waste it.

You can do this. You’re making the shift for a reason. Make the most of it and thrive in this new role.