Audio description of this article

Audio description of this article

One of the biggest challenges I faced when shifting from an Individual Contributor (IC) role to a managerial one was the immediate decrease of peer’s learning.

As an IC, idea exchanges and collaborative problem-solving were routine. However, becoming a team leader meant those interactions were no longer as readily available.

To overcome this, I have found three effective strategies:

1. Establish a trusted network of managers
2. Set time aside to read curated engineering leadership content
3. Each quarter, block time to self-reflect

Establishing a supportive network of managers

“[As a manager] You don't need to have every answer. You just need to know where to go find them.”

****Russ Laraway

In terms of upskilling, building a resilient network with other managers has proven exceptionally valuable. These regular interactions with mentors, coaches, or peers serve me as a rich source of guidance, insightful feedback, and practical assistance.

Specifically, as someone who thrives on thinking out loud and externalising his thoughts, I found that these conversations bring me clarity and help generate new ideas. This, in turn, energises me and prevents the feeling of isolation.

Engineering Leadership reads

In an information-saturated era, direct and easy access to high-value content can be challenging yet is absolutely crucial. That's why I use Mailbrew. It helps me to curate leadership material and delivers it weekly straight to my inbox.