Rushing Into Management

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

— Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Transitioning into management unveils intriguing patterns among software engineers. A common trend is the eager drive to move into managerial roles. Over the years, I’ve found that the motivations behind this can generally be distilled into the following:

• Limited mobility/growth beyond Senior Engineer.
• Managers make more money.
• Assuming authority will solve their influence problems.
• Simply misunderstanding the role.

When you talk with your manager about a desire to move to management it may feel as if they are trying to pump the brakes on pursuing this transition. The truth is that that a competent manager will definitely pump the brakes on you. I’ve seen many great engineers pursue (or be rushed into) becoming a manager with nearly catastrophic results. In some cases it’s the Peter Principle. In others, I’ve seen people “promoted” to management when then they’re not trained or prepared for the job. They then continue functioning as technical Leads or worse, they are bullied by Product Managers and aren’t equipped with the tools to protect their team and the Product from a technical solution being dictated by other disciplines (i.e. engineers are forced to build features in a way that accrues technical debt of such magnitude as to be crippling). I’ve also seen engineers become tyrannical when they become managers. They create resentment and chaos instead of cohesion. Responsible managers ensure that someone moving into a management role will not fall into that trap.

A competent manager will sift through an engineer’s motivations and collaboratively guide them in the right direction.

The Wrong Reasons

In many, if not most cases, engineers pursue becoming Managers because they believe that this is the only path available to them to keep growing within a company. This was true many years ago, but at least within the past decade companies have realized that they needed to create tracks that allow engineers to grow as individual contributors. In large tech companies it’s even possible to reach VP levels of scope, impact, and influence as an individual contributor. In these companies it is not uncommon for engineers at these levels to set technical direction for multiple business units. They are also often well-known public speakers at major technical events and conferences.

Additionally, most engineers don’t realize that becoming a manager is switching careers. You deprioritize the skills that got you this far and instead focus on developing new ones. While there are many transferable soft skills, the bulk of your skill set likely involves technology and solutioning. As a manager, your learning shifts toward becoming a more effective communicator, understanding business mechanisms, light business finance, influencing others, and project management. Technology becomes a secondary focus, used primarily to ask questions, poke holes in solutions, and ensure cost-effective and timely project completion.

Moreover, engineers enjoy the luxury of achieving and maintaining a flow state for extended periods. As a manager, your day becomes interrupt-driven, jumping from meeting to meeting. Even if your schedule looks light one day, ad-hoc discussions will likely consume all available unscheduled time.

One of the most dangerous aspects of management is that while you are given official power to mandate change you must refrain from doing so unless it’s absolutely necessary to do so. Some engineers confuse power for influence and alienate and demoralize their teams. They do not understand the assignment: effective leadership comes through influence. As a manager you must be a force multiplier, not a detractor. Bring people on the journey with you. Play inception. Make them think this is something they’ve always wanted.

The Upside

At a certain point, I found myself bored with technology. While I still loved learning new tech, the deep satisfaction I once felt was gone. Moving to management reignited a fire that had been dormant longer than I care to admit. Shifting my worldview to people was (and continues to be) harder than learning new technology. I read voraciously to master new skills, such as quickly inferring information (reading the room), adapting to dynamic situations, and helping someone see the silver lining in an otherwise challenging situation. Switching to management allowed me to return to my love of being a learner. Additionally it has allowed me to learn how to become a force multiplier. I’ve had to learn how to achieve results by growing and inspiring leaders that in turn grow and inspire their teams.

Moving into Management also opens new career paths:

• Product Management: A Product Manager (PM) is responsible for defining the vision, strategy, and roadmap of a product. They focus on understanding customer needs, prioritizing features, and working with cross-functional teams to bring a product to market. PMs ensure that the product meets both user expectations and business goals.
• Technical Program Management: A Technical Program Manager (TPM) oversees the planning, execution, and delivery of complex technical projects. They coordinate with engineering teams, manage timelines, and ensure that technical solutions are implemented efficiently. TPMs bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders to ensure successful project outcomes.
• Business Development Management: A Business Development Manager (BDM) focuses on creating growth opportunities for the company. They identify potential partnerships, negotiate deals, and develop strategies to expand the company’s market presence. BDMs work closely with sales, marketing, and product teams to drive business expansion and revenue growth.

The final, and perhaps most unexpected upside, is the tremendous sense of accomplishment you feel when you help someone grow. This doesn’t just come from seeing someone get promoted. It’s particularly powerful when you help an underperforming individual turn things around. Managing someone out is often the path of least resistance. However, digging deep to understand the challenges someone is facing and developing mechanisms to help them overcome these challenges is tough but incredibly rewarding.

So, what should you do?

My Recommendation

Note: The following assumes you have a competent manager. If not, explore internal opportunities to find one, or consider other opportunities if feasible.

If you’re interested in switching from engineering to management, discuss it with your manager during your 1:1s. Expect tough, probing conversations that challenge your desire to become a manager; this is a good sign. Be patient, open, and honest with yourself to truly explore your motivations. A good manager will likely start by gauging if you understand the difference between Management and Leadership. It’s crucial to understand this because you can be a non-managing leader with tremendous influence and scope without a management title.

They will present various career paths and how to explore them. More importantly, they will create mechanisms to allow you to try before you buy, with ample time devoted to discussing, dissecting, and learning from these experiments. They will likely give you a reading list of useful books. See the below for some of my personal favorites.

Key Takeaway: Your career path is unique to you, and it’s not a race. Don’t measure your success by comparing yourself to friends, former colleagues, or classmates. Their life circumstances differ from yours. Because of this, I highly advise you to remain an individual contributor engineer for as long as possible. The technical foundation you build will be invaluable as a manager—not for designing systems, but for having the clarity and sense to send senior experts to guide projects or designs that might otherwise end in tragedy.

In conclusion: Don’t rush into becoming a manager. Enjoy the journey. Develop your craft. Be more like Ferris Bueller. Learn to be a Leader without an official title.

If you don’t believe me, believe Boromir.

Book Recommendations

• The Manager’s Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change by Camille Fournier
• Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

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