You Have to Know a Bit of Everything

There’s something distinctive about coming from an operator background.

Going straight from theory into senior roles is risky. Being promoted too quickly can be as well. You get the responsibility, but you bypass the learning and scar tissue that shape real judgment.

This line of thought turned into a short page for a book I’m writing. Daily reflections on leadership.

I’m sharing it here because I think it might be useful, and because I’d genuinely welcome feedback.

Do these short pages work? Are they thought-provoking? Does the one-page format help get a clear leadership insight across?

You Have to Know a Bit of Everything

You can’t just be a general manager who doesn’t understand the mechanics underneath.

If you’re operating purely at a high level, without really understanding how things actually happen, you lose something important.

You need enough depth to:

• have real opinions that shape the macro

• spot early when things are going wrong

• dive in, steer, and sometimes directly contribute when you have to

That depth only comes from being an operator.

You can’t learn it from reading about it. Or hearing second-hand. Or even watching from afar.

You have to have done the work — or at least been extremely close to the action with shared responsibility. There’s something unique about having really felt the pressure and owned the mistakes.

That’s why I’m grateful I came up through an operator route. I’ve had to wrestle with product strategy, piece together roadmaps and change production processes. I’ve rebuilt leadership teams, made unpopular decisions and handled my fair share of people problems. Dealt with high-pressure moments, and had to adjust direction when things weren’t working.

And by the way, not always cleanly. Some of my biggest screw-ups, whilst painful in the moment, became my biggest learning moments.

Having come from an operator background is what lets you think high-level and drop down multiple layers when needed. And that background improves every macro decision you make as a leader.

If you’re early in your career: be patient. Time in the detail isn’t a detour — it’s the work. You’re exactly where you need to be. The leadership role comes later, and you’ll be far better prepared for it because of the work you’re doing now.

If you’re already leading: this is a reminder to stay close to the work. Don’t lose touch. Distance might feel efficient or even earned, but it will quietly erode judgment — and judgment is what people ultimately now rely on you the most for.