What is the common necessity or pattern observed across functional leadership roles that distinguishes management from specialization?

Moving from *doing* the work to *ensuring* the work is done well by others.

A crucial developmental transition experienced by individuals moving into functional leadership positions—whether in project management, operations, or other specialized tracks—involves a fundamental shift in responsibility. The defining pattern is moving away from being the primary executor of tasks (*doing* the work) toward the role of an orchestrator whose main function is to guarantee that the required work is executed correctly by the team (*ensuring* the work is done well by others). This transition highlights a focus on leading people and managing outcomes rather than solely producing technical outputs.