253: What Great Leaders Unlearn That Average Managers Still Believe | Josh Nanavaty

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Written By damon lembi

Josh Nanavaty, VP of Ticket Sales for the San Jose Sharks, joins Damon Lembi for a candid breakdown of one of the most misunderstood transitions in business: moving from top performer to people leader. Drawing from leadership roles with both the Vancouver Canucks and the Sharks, Josh shares what great leaders unlearn, why some new managers stumble (and why that’s completely normal), and how to build trust, psychological safety, and real momentum with your team.

Read the full breakdown of Josh Nanavaty’s episode on Learnit.

Key Leadership Lessons from Josh Nanavaty’s Journey:

  • Leadership is a shift from “me” to “we.” The skills that make you a great individual contributor rarely translate directly to managing people—and the best leaders know what to let go of.

  • Not everyone should become a manager. Success doesn’t always mean climbing the ladder; sometimes the happiest and highest-impact people stay top performers.

  • Trust and psychological safety are built through transparency. From owning mistakes to creating clear career roadmaps, leaders earn loyalty by communicating openly and consistently.

Connect with Josh Nanavaty:

Josh is known for developing future leaders, building high-performing sales teams, and modeling the mindset shift from top performer to true people leader.

Explore more episodes of the Learn-It-All Podcast™ on Learnit.com to gain leadership insights from top experts.

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