[Podcast Episode #22] Leadership vs. Management: Know Which Hat to Wear (and When)
Episode #22
Big ideas don’t move the needle if no one cleans the bathrooms. In this episode we unpack the real difference between leadership and management with candid stories, from a student-run catering company that grew fast and cracked under overmanagement, to a hotel pitch that thrilled U.S. investors with vision and then hit a wall when a German board asked the most practical question: who cleans the toilets?
Some topics covered are:
- Leadership vs. management, knowing the difference
- Swinging from spreadsheets to vision
- The hotel pitch, why toilets matter
- Pairing bold vision with follow-through
- Using the bite factor to test grit
- Hiring based on your leadership–management mix
- Turning projects into repeatable processes
- Adding structure to family life and meetings
- Spotting vision misalignment vs. routine gaps
- Codifying values and reinforcing behaviors
- And more…
Episode Summary
In this episode of Get Your House in Order, Cris and Philip tackle a classic business tension: leadership vs. management. Which hat should you wear? And more importantly, when?
Cris kicks off with a story from his early entrepreneurial days. At 18, he started a catering business in Frankfurt while studying law. He built systems, hired employees, and managed everything with meticulous spreadsheets and checklists. But he admits, he overmanaged. The result? Burnout, resignations, and a wake-up call: successful leadership isn’t just about control. It’s about vision, trust, and building people, not just processes.
Philip then shares a memorable contrast. After pitching a big-picture hotel vision to American investors and getting applause, he faced a German board who asked, “How many toilets are there and who’s cleaning them?” It was a jarring but important lesson: vision without management is chaos, and management without vision leads to stagnation.
The Medici Brothers introduce their concept of the “managing leader” and provide a simple framework:
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100% Leadership / 0% Management = Vision without structure: chaos
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75% Leadership / 25% Management = Bold, pioneering, but needs support
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50/50 Balance = Steady progress
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25% Leadership / 75% Management = Operational strength, but lacking inspiration
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0% Leadership / 100% Management = Perfect systems, but stagnation looms
Their advice? Know where you fall and staff accordingly.
The episode stretches beyond business. Cris and Philip emphasize that these principles apply at home too. Leading a family takes vision. Managing a family takes structure. From family meetings to defining household values, they argue that leadership and management in the home are often neglected but just as essential.
One key insight: Many business owners excel at management in the workplace but fail to bring that same intentionality home. Or they lead teams with clarity, yet never define a vision for their marriage or parenting.
The episode ends with a call to self-awareness and structure. Whether in business or family, success doesn’t happen by accident. You don’t stumble into legacy. You build it, with intentional leadership, disciplined management, and the right people by your side.
Get your leadership/management framework by emailing coaching@medicilegacy.com with the subject: “Leader Manager Framework”.
Because getting your house in order starts with knowing what hat you need to wear, and when.
Get a free copy of "Get Your House in Order"
Principles of success based on the life of Cosimo de’ Medici by Cris Auditore Zimmermann