https://newsletter.eng-leadership.com/p/growing-from-engineer-to-manager [https] Engineering Leadership SubscribeSign in Share this post [https] Growing from engineer to manager and thriving newsletter.eng-leadership.com Copy link Facebook Email Notes Other Growing from engineer to manager and thriving Your success is now determined more by the success of your team than by your individual contributions. [https] Gregor Ojstersek Jun 11, 2023 11 9 Share [https] Intro This edition is a continuation of the previous "Which is the right engineering career path for you?". We are moving more towards the mindset and mentality needed to grow and thrive as a manager. Remember, when growing from an engineer to a manager it's important to understand that you need a totally different set of skills and mindset. You are not judged by your own contribution anymore but by the contribution of the whole team. I've had the pleasure to interview Nicola Ballota. He is a Director of Cloud at Namecheap, leading 4 teams with a combined 35 people. We talked about his experience and his path in growing, how to find a good fit for the manager role, steps to take as an engineer to become a manager, recommendations for new managers, and how to keep improving your knowledge overall as a manager. What does it take to grow and thrive as a manager? Let's find out. How did you become a manager and what led you to choose this path? I learned most things through direct experience and only later in my career started studying and receiving coaching. Since I was young I spent a lot of time growing my technical knowledge, which aligned with my main passion. After some IC roles, I founded a couple of companies where I began building and leading small teams. This is where my entrepreneurial mindset emerged, and my interest in managing people and "influencing the big picture" started growing. I then joined Namecheap, the second-largest domain registrar in the world. There, I grew a team of 10 people, became the director of the Cloud department, and now lead four teams with a total of 35 people. It's only in recent years that I started reading extensively about leadership and management, giving a name to many practices I learned through trial and error. This year I also started writing a newsletter where I share what I learned. How do you know an engineer would be a good fit to become a manager? Well, while there are for sure certain traits that can make it easier to become a good manager, I strongly believe that being a manager is something you can learn. So, usually, there are two things that I look for when searching for a new manager: * I ask people if this is truly what they want to do and observe their reaction. * I search for individuals who demonstrate a high level of commitment to their work and understand that becoming a good manager is a long journey that demands significant effort. What steps would you recommend to an aspiring engineer to take to grow to a manager role? The first step I would recommend is to understand why you want to become a manager. There could be multiple reasons, such as seeking a better salary, having more influence in a company, personal growth, and more. It is crucial to have a clear objective in mind since that will be your ultimate goal. Once you are certain about this career switch and have a clear objective, here are the next steps you should take: * Conduct a self-assessment to understand your strengths and weaknesses. It's important to be aware of areas where you need improvement, as well as areas where you can support your teammates, demonstrating to your manager that you have the right mindset for this journey. * Start proactively seeking more responsibilities and demonstrate accountability. * The final step is to have a conversation with your manager and express your interest in transitioning into a managerial role. What recommendations do you have for engineers that have just become managers for the transition to be as smooth as possible? Firstly, embrace the change in mindset. Your success is now determined more by the success of your team than by your individual contributions. Additionally, while I understand that it may be challenging at the beginning, try to minimize your involvement in hands-on work as much as possible. Instead, shift your focus to your team members. Engage in open communication, strive to streamline their work, and build positive relationships. Trust is essential and it's not something you get for free just because you were promoted to a manager role. How can managers keep improving their knowledge and make sure they are up to date with their skill sets? Managers should stay updated on technological trends and industry best practices. As mentioned earlier, they don't have to be hands-on, but it is crucial for them to speak the same language as their teams. Therefore, attending industry conferences, participating in relevant online communities, or taking courses are important steps to stay informed. Additionally, regularly seeking feedback from peers, team leaders, and team members can provide valuable insights for personal growth. Lastly, engaging with a mentor or executive coach can be an excellent way to ensure continuous personal and professional development. Any last advice for all of the engineers who are aspiring to become managers? You don't necessarily need to become a manager. There are numerous exceptional individual contributors who have significant responsibilities and enjoy competitive salaries, sometimes even higher than those of managers. Being a manager is something you can learn, but it's not suitable for everyone. It requires a genuine passion for understanding people and the psychology that influences them. Additionally, you must be willing to let go of most hands-on work (which can be challenging, particularly for engineers) and dedicate your time to managing people, processes, and achieving results. Last words Thanks to Nicola for the interview. You can find him on LinkedIn, he also has a newsletter: The Hybrid Hacker. Where he weekly shares his experience in leadership, management, productivity, remote work, etc. Go check him out! --------------------------------------------------------------------- Get in touch I would love to hear from you! You can find me on Twitter or Linkedin . If you wish to make a request on particular topic you would like to read, you can send me an email to info@gregorojstersek.com. --------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the newsletter of the blog Engineering Leadership. Subscribe to get notified and receive the post dircetly to your inbox when it's published! Subscribe and learn You are more than welcome to find whatever interests you here and try it out in your particular case. Let me know how it went! Topics are normally about leadership, management, all things engineering related, developing scalable products, building teams etc. 11 9 Share 9 Comments [https] [ ] John Crickett Writes Coding Challenges 14 hr agoLiked by Gregor Ojstersek "Your success is now determined more by the success of your [https] team than by your individual contributions" Needs repeating often, not understanding this is a key mistake that newly promoted ICs make. Expand full comment Reply 6 replies by Gregor Ojstersek and others Jordan Cutler Writes High Growth Engineer 10 hr agoLiked by Gregor Ojstersek [https] Awesome post, Gregor. I learned a lot from your questions and Nicola's detailed answers [?] Expand full comment Reply 1 reply by Gregor Ojstersek 7 more comments... Top New Community No posts Ready for more? [ ]Subscribe (c) 2023 Gregor Ojstersek Privacy [?] Terms [?] Collection notice Start WritingGet the app Substack is the home for great writing This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts