Navigating the minefield of changing working relationships when stepping into leadership
summary
Recommendation: aim to set up a one-to-one with every direct report by the end of week one, collect early feedback, and credit the team for wins rather than taking them. Expect familiar teams to pass through forming storming norming performing; use vector alignment (direction + magnitude) to justify decisions and share context (cost benefit time risk expertise). Remember the surprising stat that ~90% of mid-level execs lead former peers, so be scrupulously fair, recalibrate working relationships, protect boundaries, and find peer support.
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chapters (8)
- 0:00Start
- 8:47Being an Engineering Leader
- 10:18Managing the Initial Transition
- 14:00How to Get Feedback
- 17:21Having Difficult Conversations
- 19:31Content is King, Context is Queen
- 21:34Navigating Hurt and Resentment
- 26:34Final Thoughts
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