The uncomfortable middle: Growing as a Director in uncertain times
summary
Promoted during a one‑third downsizing, the role contains sudden responsibility for managers and teams with clashing dynamics, and the concrete actions are transparent: hold weekly hour‑long open “ask anything” sessions to surface morale questions, set high expectations with high empathy to push teams to the edge safely, and confront leader fit quickly — a manager who asks to return to IC is moved back after four months with regret rather than deferred, a mistake that cost trust and momentum.
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chapters (6)
- 0:00Introduction
- 2:39Promotion during reorg
- 5:51Rebuilding morale after layoffs
- 8:21Balancing growth and empathy
- 10:26Cost of ignoring leadership doubts
- 11:51Key takeaways and closing remarks
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