Over the past 15 years of working with executives and teams in Vietnamese enterprises, I have observed a paradox: many managers possess international degrees, read extensively, and attend dozens of management training programs. Yet, when confronted with real-world challenges—rising employee turnover, waves of customer complaints, or projects persistently behind schedule—they often become hesitant, slow to respond, and at times, paralyzed.

This raises an essential question: Why is knowledge alone not enough to make a great leader?

Knowledge – necessary but not sufficient

The foundational role of management knowledge cannot be denied: principles, models, and frameworks for motivation, delegation, control, and evaluation are all critical. But for senior leaders, if learning stops at “knowing,” then knowledge is nothing more than a well-decorated bookshelf—impressive in appearance but powerless against complex realities.

Today’s business world operates in a VUCA environment: volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. A “right” formula today may become irrelevant tomorrow. What matters is not how many models you have memorized, but whether you can transform knowledge into action, action into experience, and experience into the capability of practical leadership.

Consider a simple example: theory says, “recognize employees when they perform well.” But on a stressful morning, with a major client upset and KPI dashboards flashing red, can you stay calm enough to both resolve the crisis and offer timely encouragement to your team? Without practicing in real conditions, such knowledge often slips away at the exact moment it is needed most.

Practical leadership – the difference lies in experience

“Practical” leadership is not about acting on instinct. It is about knowing how to move forward under pressure, risk, and constraints.

The essence of practical leadership includes:

• Adaptive flexibility: Not rigidly applying theory, but adjusting to organizational culture, industry specifics, and human dynamics.
• Timely decision-making: Willing to choose a path without perfect data, taking responsibility, and being open to learning from mistakes.
• Leading by action: Not just saying “go do it,” but stepping in and showing “let’s do it together,” so the team can witness your commitment and follow your lead.

In other words, knowledge is only the map. Practical leadership is the ability to take that map into rough terrain—navigating, adjusting, and at times, creating new paths altogether.

Why employees need practical leaders

For employees, a leader is not someone who merely lectures or cites textbooks whenever issues arise. What they truly need is someone who can stand beside them in real situations, who knows when to support, when to delegate, and when to step forward and shoulder responsibility.

A practical leader transmits not only knowledge, but also trust. And in today’s fiercely competitive environment, that trust is what retains talent, strengthens team cohesion, and drives results.

Conclusion

As a senior leader, you may hold vast management knowledge, but do not let it become a “locked treasure chest.” The true strength of leadership lies not in “knowing more,” but in the ability to translate knowledge into action, action into experience, and experience into the courage and confidence of practical leadership.

This is precisely the spirit Vietnamese enterprises need more than ever: leaders who are not only strong in theory, but also willing to roll up their sleeves, step forward, and lead with lived experience.

Wishing you success,

Lead-UP Academy | Learn to Act – Act to Lead