The difference between management and leadership is all about the how. The what, when, why, and where of a project may all be the same — but the how can make all the difference in time to market and product quality.

Managing from the front has its place, especially around vision and policy. Leadership, though, is often best done from behind. Gathering the right people in the room, asking the right questions, keeping the conversation focused, inviting opinions, dispensing credit — these more indirect actions are what actually push projects forward.

Most importantly, letting the team arrive at the right decisions on their own builds their investment in the solution. And teams that own the solution are far more motivated to implement it well.