Why We Ditched Line Managers

The traditional role of the line manager has long been tied up in systems of oversight: signing off projects, approving leave, performance management cycles, and so on. But in too many organisations, this system reinforces a top-down culture. It focuses more on process than people and risks disempowering the very individuals it’s meant to support.

At ted Learning, we wanted to change that. We asked ourselves: What if leadership wasn’t about managing tasks, but mentoring people? What if the goal wasn’t control, but confidence?

We believe that in a creative, collaborative environment, people don’t thrive under supervision—they thrive under support. So, we redesigned our internal structure to reflect exactly that.

Introducing Line Mentors

Every team member at ted Learning now has a line mentor—someone whose role is to coach, guide, and support rather than direct or approve. Line mentors aren’t gatekeepers; they’re champions. They’re not here to tell people what to do; they’re here to ask great questions, provide insight, and hold space for development conversations.

That mentoring relationship is rooted in trust, not control. It acknowledges that people are capable of making their own decisions. Our mentors help ensure that our team members grow in confidence, competence, and clarity about their career direction.

Leadership Without Approvals

One of the biggest shifts in this model is how we’ve reframed accountability. Traditionally, a line manager would “sign off” a document or decision. But that’s not how we work anymore.

Instead of approvals, we now operate a culture of final quality checks or peer proofreads. The difference is subtle but powerful. This change means that the person doing the work owns the output. They’re not waiting for someone else to rubber-stamp it—they’re accountable for its quality. The mentor (or sometimes another peer) supports the final review, but ownership remains with the person who created it.

It’s a small linguistic change with a huge cultural impact. It empowers people to take responsibility and pride in their work while still ensuring high standards and collaboration.

We also removed the need to have annual leave approved.  Our team know how many days they can take – and all we ask, is check who else is off and consider the impact of you being off at the same time.  But your leave is YOUR leave, and the system automatically approves it.  Have we had any issues since implementing this? No – well only our own CEO forgetting and booking leave when two other key colleagues were off, so discussion was had!

Monthly Conversations that Matter

Leadership at ted Learning isn’t just about helping people get through their to-do list. It’s about helping them grow. One of the ways we do that is through regular monthly check-ins between mentors and mentees.

But these aren’t generic performance reviews. Each month, we focus on one or two specific themes, including even better if and  what support people need.

These structured, meaningful conversations give people time to reflect, share, and set intentional goals. They’re spaces for curiosity, not criticism. Our mentors listen actively, challenge constructively, and encourage consistently.

The feedback we’ve received from our team? These conversations are often the most valuable hour of their month.

The Benefits of a Mentoring Culture

Since making this shift, we’ve noticed some clear and positive changes at ted Learning:

• Increased ownership and autonomy: People feel more in control of their work and career.
• Stronger relationships: The mentor-mentee model builds trust and open communication.
• More agile decision-making: With less waiting for sign-offs, projects move faster.
• Improved morale: Team members feel seen, supported, and invested in.
• Better leadership development: Mentors grow their coaching skills and emotional intelligence.

It’s also aligned perfectly with our brand. As a company that trains other organisations in leadership, equity, and inclusion, it’s only right that we reflect those values internally. We want to live the learning—not just deliver it.  We don’t pretend we always get it right – we employ humans, and all of us work remotely across the UK and Philippines but we are striving to deliver this and recognise it’s a journey.

What This Means for Our Clients

If you’re working with ted Learning on a training project, this culture of mentoring is part of the experience you’ll feel. It means that every member of our team is engaged, empowered, and passionate about what they do. We don’t need multiple layers of sign-off to get creative work done—we work with trust, clarity, and ownership.

Our mentoring model makes our team more responsive, more thoughtful, and more connected. And that means better results for you.

From Line Management to Mentors: Final Thoughts

The shift from managing people to mentoring people has been one of the most important evolutions in the way we lead at ted Learning. It’s part of a broader commitment to human-centred leadership—one that treats people as capable, curious professionals, not boxes to tick or tasks to track.

We believe this is the future of leadership. And we’re excited to help other organisations take a similar step—whether through our drama-based leadership training or through sharing our own journey of transformation.

If you’re interested in how mentoring, coaching, and real conversations can change your culture, get in touch. At ted Learning, we don’t just train leaders we grow them.