Last week, I renewed two Microsoft 365 certifications again:
Microsoft 365 Administrator Expert and Microsoft 365 Endpoint Administrator Associate.
For me, these aren’t certificates to show off. They’re part of the foundation for being a good IT manager. Not so I can write every PowerShell script or build YAML pipelines myself, but so I can speak the language of the people doing the hands-on work every day.
My interest shifted some time ago from building things myself to leading teams and optimizing operational IT. Honestly, that shift really began when I got my first management role—in a domain where I didn’t know every technical detail myself.
An Azure DevOps / IaC team, with engineers from several disciplines.
That was exactly the point.
It forced me to let go of wanting to do everything myself and focus on what leadership really requires:
- understanding people,
- connecting perspectives,
- facilitating collaboration,
- making sure everyone can do their best work.
Precisely because I couldn’t do everything myself, I learned to lead through trust, communication, and direction.
And let’s be honest: when you dive into the code as a manager, you’re probably breaking more than you’re fixing.
I believe an IT leader needs three capabilities:
1. Understand what’s happening under the hood
Not to do it yourself, but to understand what’s needed when an engineer brings you a technical problem. “That’s too technical for me” isn’t an option when you’re responsible for operations.
2. Recognize friction before it hurts
Understanding the technology helps you spot sluggish processes, emerging risks, and teams wasting time unnecessarily. That doesn’t make you a micromanager—it makes you a better orchestrator.
3. Lead MSPs and internal teams effectively
Whether you lead an internal department or oversee an MSP, you need to be able to read scripts, policies, and configurations. You don’t have to build them yourself, but you do need to understand what they do and their impact.
My technical foundation helps me ask the right questions, and my leadership development helps me create the right environment.
For me, that combination—strategic leadership and technical understanding—is the key to a mature, reliable, future-ready IT organization.
Originally published on LinkedIn. View all blog posts.