Being a manager is a lot like being salt in food.

If there’s too much salt, everyone notices and complains. It overwhelms everything else. That’s what micromanagement feels like with too much control, too much presence, too little space for the team to thrive.

If there’s too little salt, something feels off. The dish lacks balance. That’s what undermanagement feels like—unclear direction, lack of support, and a team left guessing.

But when the amount of salt is just right, nobody talks about the salt. Instead, they say, “Wow, this tastes great.”

Great management works the same way. The manager becomes almost invisible—not because they aren’t contributing, but because they’ve created the conditions for the team to succeed. The focus shifts from the manager to the team, the work, and the results.

Leadership is often not about being seen more. It’s about enabling others to shine.