Lenny's Reads Five principles for successfully managing managers
May 20, 2025
Discover the essential framework for becoming an impactful 'manager of managers.' Learn why skip leads are vital for scaling product teams and how to effectively support struggling managers. Dive into practical tips, like the 'API endpoint' trick to lead through layers and a simple 2x2 strategy for knowing when to intervene. Explore how to match team members to projects and establish powerful first-week habits that set new leaders on the path to success. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for navigating leadership dynamics!
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Impact of Skip Leads
- Problems with managers often trace back to their managers, the skip leads.
- Skip leads hold critical influence by hiring, reviewing, and coaching managers.
Don't Undermine Your Managers
- Avoid undermining your direct report managers by solving issues directly for their reports.
- Coach managers to handle their teams and maintain clear, consistent direction.
Don't Cover Poor Performance
- Avoid covering for underperforming managers by hiding bad news from your bosses.
- Report issues clearly and work on course correction openly with leadership.
