Salon Today
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Flexing Your Leadership Muscle

Do you understand the difference between being a manager and being a leader? 124GO's John Palmieri walks you through the subtle differences, illustrating the importance of showing up for your team and creating the environment for them to do their best work.

by John Palmieri, 124GO
December 14, 2023
Flexing Your Leadership Muscle

 

2 min to read


The following is an except from SALON TODAY's Coaches, Consultants and Business Resources Directory. Visit it for more helpful business guidance and to learn more about John Palmieri, 124Go, and the other beauty business experts.

Do you understand when you need to take a management approach by ensuring you have clearly explained your expectations and desired outcomes? This is a discussion we have often with the leaders we support as both styles are critical to your success and your team’s success.

Ad Loading...

Leadership is about how you motivate and inspire others to think for themselves, while supporting them along the way by being a sounding board, coach and mentor for your people. It goes without saying that you must role model the behaviors you expect to see in others, as leadership is very much an inside-out job.

Management is often very task-focused, and it is critical that you are clear and concise in your communication as you define what is expected of your people. The definition of management is often described as being more hands-on and being willing to jump into the trenches with your people when they need you.

Leadership is not primarily about what you do, it is more about who you are and how you are showing up for others. It is more about being than doing, more about simplicity than complexity. It is about authenticity and creating an environment where people feel comfortable being themselves.

  • Managers administer; leaders innovate.

  • Managers maintain; leaders develop.

  • Managers focus on systems and structure; leaders focus on people.

  • Managers rely on control; leaders inspire trust.

  • Managers have a short-range view; leaders have a long-range perspective.

  • Managers ask how and when; leaders ask why.

  • Managers do things right; leaders do the right thing.

The most effective and impactful leaders know how to pivot between leading and managing as both are equally important to create a high-performing culture within an organization. Leaning into only one style will create challenges for individuals and teams, and it will limit your ability to grow upwards on the leadership ladder.

Ad Loading...

Let’s get growing!

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

More Salon Management

Paul Petrowsky, manager of Impressions

The Constant

Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.

Ad Loading...
Headshot of Sophie Galabru

How Women are Rewriting the Rules of Grey Hair

At a panel discussion hosted by L’Oréal Professionnel in Paris in early July, French Philosopher Sophie Galabru explored the cultural shift where women are increasingly choosing natural, personalized color results over traditional grey coverage. In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Galabru and L’Oréal Professionnel Colorist Pierrick Beringer discuss this shift and how salons and colorists respond.

Ad Loading...
Cover of whitepaper

How AI Is Closing Revenue Gaps for Salons and Spas

The beauty and wellness businesses pulling ahead aren’t just working harder—they’re using AI to capture demand, personalize pricing, and convert more of every guest interaction into revenue. Here’s what the benchmark data reveals about the growing gap between AI adopters and everyone else.

Sponsored by Zenoti

copy of the whitepaper cover

The Premium Talent Magnet: The Modern Salon Playbook for Attracting Six-Figure Stylists

Stop chasing recruitment ghosts on generic job boards and start curating an elite team. Discover the framework that top-tier salons use to bypass phone tag, automate visual portfolio vetting, and attract high-earning, culture-first beauty professionals directly through real-time messaging. Turn your recruitment process into an exclusive brand invitation that keeps your highest-ticket chairs permanently filled.

Sponsored by Beautista

Cover of the whitepaper

Five Revenue Leaks Hiding in Your Salon

Your calendar looks full, but is all of that demand actually converting to revenue? From phantom rebookings to underpriced peak hours, the 2026 Benchmark Report exposes five revenue leaks that most beauty and wellness businesses don’t even know they have.

Sponsored by Zenoti

Nicki Wenz (above) and Allison Stock of Zandi K Salon

The Heartbeat of Zandi K's Success

After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.

Ad Loading...