In the world of organizational leadership, managers occupy a unique position at the intersection of two crucial relationships: one with their team members and another with senior leadership. This duality bears a striking resemblance to Charles Dickens’ famous opening lines in A Tale of Two Cities
The Tale of Two Relationships
Just as Dickens’ novel explores the stark contrasts between London and Paris during the French Revolution, managers navigate two distinct worlds within the same organization. On one side, they guide and support their team members; on the other, they align with and report to executive leadership. Like the characters in Dickens’ masterpiece who must navigate both societies, managers must understand and thrive in both contexts.
The Best of Times, The Worst of Times
When working with their teams, managers often enjoy moments of mentorship, growth, and direct impact. They witness firsthand the development of their people and the tangible results of their collective efforts. This relationship can be deeply rewarding and immediate—the “best of times” in management.
Conversely, managers’ relationships with leadership can feel more abstract and pressure-laden. They’re accountable for team performance, responsible for translating high-level strategies into actionable plans, and often caught in the middle of organizational politics. When these pressures mount, it can indeed feel like the “worst of times.”
The Age of Wisdom, The Age of Foolishness
With their teams, managers typically possess greater knowledge and experience, embodying “the age of wisdom.” They guide less experienced team members, provide context for decisions, and help navigate organizational complexities.
Yet when facing leadership, these same managers may sometimes feel like they’re in “the age of foolishness,” especially when attempting to advocate for their team’s needs or explain operational challenges to executives who may be disconnected from day-to-day realities.
The Season of Light, The Season of Darkness
Effective managers bring light to their teams through clarity, direction, and support. They illuminate paths forward and create psychological safety for team members to excel. This “season of light” fosters innovation and productivity.
Meanwhile, managers often shield their teams from the “season of darkness”—the political tensions, resource constraints, and strategic pivots that occur at higher levels. They absorb these pressures to maintain stability below, much like how some characters in Dickens’ novel protect others from the harsh realities of revolution.
The Spring of Hope, The Winter of Despair
For team members, a good manager represents “the spring of hope”—providing opportunities for growth, recognition, and advancement. They serve as champions and advocates, helping their people bloom and develop.
Simultaneously, managers may experience “the winter of despair” when facing leadership during challenging times—defending budgets, explaining missed targets, or implementing difficult changes. Like the characters in Dickens’ novel who must maintain composure despite extraordinary circumstances, managers put on a brave face despite the pressures they endure.
Navigating the Two Cities
Successful managers, like the most resilient characters in “A Tale of Two Cities,” learn to navigate both worlds effectively. They develop what might be called “bilingual fluency”—speaking the language of frontline work with their teams while also communicating in the language of strategy and business outcomes with leadership.
This duality requires remarkable adaptability. The best managers can:
- Translate between the strategic vision from above and the operational realities below
- Filter information appropriately for each audience without compromising integrity
- Advocate for their team’s needs while remaining aligned with organizational goals
- Balance short-term team morale with long-term organizational health
The Ultimate Sacrifice
In Dickens’ novel, Sydney Carton makes the ultimate sacrifice when he takes another man’s place at the guillotine, famously declaring, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done.” While organizational life rarely demands such extreme measures, effective managers often make significant sacrifices.
They absorb stress rather than passing it downward. They take responsibility for team failures while sharing credit for successes. They work longer hours to shield their teams from unreasonable demands. And they sometimes make unpopular decisions because they serve the greater good of the organization.
In Roman mythology, Janus was the god of beginnings, transitions, and doorways, depicted with two faces—one looking forward and one looking backward. Similarly, effective managers must constantly look in two directions: toward their teams and toward leadership. This dual perspective isn’t a burden but a unique privilege. It allows managers to serve as critical connective tissue within organizations, bridging the gap between strategy and execution, vision and reality. By embracing this duality rather than resisting it, managers can transform what Dickens might call “the worst of times” into “the best of times,” creating value for both their teams and the organization as a whole. Like the historical forces that shaped Dickens’ tale, the tensions between these two relationships need not lead to revolution. Instead, they can fuel evolution—of the manager, the team, and ultimately, the entire organization.