Transforming From Manager To Leader.
There’s a big difference between being a manager and being a leader, and in retail you feel it every day.
A manager keeps things running. A leader changes the way the team runs them. Retail is fast, unpredictable, and people-focused, so you don’t just need someone who can hold the fort, you need someone who can lift the standard and bring people with them.
Most managers step up because they were strong operators: reliable, great on the floor, trusted by customers and upper management. But leadership isn’t about being the best at every task. It’s about building an environment where everyone else can be great too.
A mentor once said to me, “as a leader, your team should be better than you.” Not because you’re lacking, but because you’ve coached them, backed them, and grown their confidence so the store thrives even when you’re not there. If the store can’t function without you, you’re managing. If your team performs because of what you’ve built in them, you’re leading.
You see this shift in how leaders handle goals. They don’t just set targets and hope people hit them. They make goals clear and meaningful, turning big numbers into daily actions. When the team understands why the goal matters and believes they can reach it, motivation becomes internal, you stop chasing, because they start driving.
Customer experience sits at the centre of that. Customers can tell when a team is ticking boxes versus genuinely caring. Leaders treat customer experience like the real scoreboard. Every greeting, every complaint handled well, every store that feels clean, stocked, and welcoming builds loyalty. When you live the standard consistently, your team starts owning it too, and micromanagement becomes unnecessary.
Leaders hire differently. Managers fill roster gaps; leaders build teams. They’re patient because the wrong hire costs more than waiting for the right one. Skills are trainable. Attitude, care, and energy are harder to teach. Great leaders hire for those qualities first, then coach the rest. They’re thinking beyond who can cover a shift, they’re shaping who will strengthen the culture.
Coaching and feedback shouldn’t be treated as one off events, they are part of the everyday! Leaders teach in small moments, model what good looks like, and give direct feedback that grows people. They notice effort as much as outcome. A genuine “thank you” or “I saw how you handled that” keeps good people engaged, especially in an industry where many feel replaceable. People will go further for leaders who see them.
None of this works without open communication. Real openness means people feel safe to say what’s working, what isn’t, and what could be better. Leaders share context early, listen properly, and handle tension calmly. Your team will copy you, so steadiness under pressure is one of the most powerful things you can bring to the floor.
Delegation is another marker. It’s not about dumping tasks; it’s about developing people. Leaders give ownership with support. Micromanagement shrinks people; trust grows them. When you delegate well, you’re not losing control. You are creating people who can share the workload and ultimately bringing it back to that quote of “your team should be better than you”.
And when the floor is busy, leadership gets loud. Leaders don’t disappear into the office. They jump in, help, sell, problem-solve, and show the standard in real time. They never ask their team to do what they wouldn’t do themselves, and that presence earns respect faster than any title.
At the heart of it all is this: leadership is influence, not control. It’s moving from “how do I get the job done?” to “how do I bring people with me?” Targets and standards still matter, but leadership is what makes people want to be part of what you’re building.
I highly recommend watching this youtube video:
If you’d like to connect with Lucy to find your dream role or to become a new client of ours we would love to connect, please email lucy@thetalentmill.com.au today.
By Lucy Kesselschmidt // Edited By Shannon Parsons