Lessons from Dave Kline

On Leadership vs. Management

Separate managing from leading. In many large corporate organizations, you'll find a lot of management but not necessarily a lot of leadership. Management often involves command and control, while true leadership is about inspiring and motivating people to exceed their own expectations. [7][8]
Leadership isn't about being nice; it's about being kind, honest, and challenging. True leadership involves pushing people to reach their full potential through radical transparency. [9]
Move from intuition to intention. To level up as a leader, you must shift from operating on instinct to having a structured and intentional approach to your actions and decisions. [7]
Tomorrow's leaders will be both charismatic and systematic. They will not only inspire their teams but also engineer the systems needed to support them effectively. [10]
Many leaders build cultures by accident. Without intention, the culture of a team or company will develop organically, and you may not like the result. [4]
"Leadership training through hazing" is not a strategy. The idea that new leaders will "just figure it out" by making mistakes without guidance is an outdated and ineffective approach. [7][8]

On Delegation

The most common mistake managers make is not delegating enough. A frequent sign of this is the phrase, "That's okay. I'll do it." [1]
Delegation is an investment in the future. While it may take more time upfront to explain a task, it's an investment that builds your team's capabilities and starts a compounding process of growth. [11]
Your grind can be their growth. Delegate tasks that you struggle with or constantly put off to someone on your team who may be excited by the challenge and the opportunity to develop. [12]
Delegate until it hurts. This aspirational goal pushes you to constantly find opportunities to empower your team, which in turn gives you more space to think strategically. [12][13]
Fear of losing control holds leaders back from delegating. Many managers are afraid of becoming less connected to their craft or that their team members won't perform the task as well, but overcoming these fears is essential to becoming a true manager. [12]
Delegation is a balancing act. It requires empowering your team with full responsibility while also setting clear expectations and boundaries for the task. [14]

On Setting Expectations

The number one thing any manager can do is co-author and align on clear expectations. A vast number of disagreements and disappointments stem from uncommunicated or misunderstood expectations. [15]
The "what" is often clear, but the "how" is what separates great teams. Like a professional sports team, a high-performing work team needs a system and a clear understanding of each person's role to execute effectively. [15]
Don't be a manager with "secret expectations." When there's a misalignment, it's often because the leader had expectations they thought were obvious but never actually communicated them. [15]
Establish clear employee expectations in under an hour. Using a simple, collaborative approach can help your team achieve exceptional performance. [5]

On Feedback

Don't drop the "synthesis bomb." Leaders who are afraid to give feedback in the moment often save it all for a performance review, which can negatively impact trust. [3]
To receive feedback, don't get defensive; always say "thank you." This encourages honesty and opens the door for continuous improvement. [1]
If you want your team to be candid and vulnerable, you must be too. Leaders must model the behavior they want to see, including admitting their own mistakes. [16]
Feedback is a tool for growth, not a personal attack. At Bridgewater, Kline received over 12,000 pieces of brutally honest feedback, which was part of a culture aimed at maximizing the potential of the system and the individuals within it. [15][17]
Exercise the "feedback muscle" in a safe environment. By asking for feedback on low-risk items, you can help your team practice and become more comfortable with the process. [18]

On Team and Culture

Everyone is an A-player in the right context. It's a leader's job to find that context for each person, which may or may not be within your current team or company. [1]
The highest probability way to "fix" an underperformer is to have hired the right person in the first place. Aligning on values, mission, and capabilities from the start is crucial. [15]
Your team isn't failing because of bad strategy; it's failing because you can't finish what you start. Shiny object syndrome is a key killer of great teams. [5][19]
A team can have compatible but distinct values from the larger organization. This allows a manager to create a specific sub-culture that is optimized for their team's function and purpose. [4][8]
Having a shared purpose is a key ingredient for psychological safety. When people are aligned on the mission, they are more willing to endure the discomfort that comes with radical candor. [16]
Someone is 7x more likely to stay at a job if they have a friend at work. Fostering personal connections and a sense of community is a powerful retention tool. [15]

On Hiring and Promotions

Hire for values, mission alignment, and capabilities. You can't change people at business speed, so it's better to start from a place of natural alignment. [15][16]
Adding more people often causes more problems than it solves. Focus on elevating team performance before immediately turning to hiring. [20]
Be strategic about promotions. You have to both do great work and ensure the right people notice that work. [1]
Know who the decision-makers are for promotions. It could be the CEO at a startup or a promotion committee at a larger company; make sure they are aware of your contributions. [1]
Don't surprise your boss. Communicate transparently about your goals, progress, and any problems that arise. [12]

On Personal Growth and Self-Awareness

To level up as a leader, start with a deep understanding of yourself. This awareness allows you to know when to step in and when to rely on others. [4][7]
You are not the best at everything. New leaders often micromanage because they mistakenly believe they are the most capable at every task. Self-awareness helps to overcome this. [4][7]
Your experiences—both wins and losses—shape you as a leader. Understanding your own biases and tendencies is critical for effectively leading others. [4]
Confront the reality of your situation. Understanding what you truly want and the cause-and-effect relationships governing your reality is key to achieving your goals. [21]
Identify your biggest obstacle and deal with it. View problems as opportunities for improvement that are screaming at you. [21]

On Productivity and Impact

The role of a manager is to deliver impact. The best leaders focus on reducing friction and cycle time for their teams. [3]
You can have anything you want, but not everything. This principle from Ray Dalio is a reminder to keep your main thing the main thing. [1]
Every decision comes with three choices: execute it, improve it slightly, or do it in a way that compounds. Owners constantly look for the small investments today that will yield long-term compounding returns. [15]
Don't just tell, show. Instead of only explaining concepts, use real-world examples and exercises to help people learn and apply new skills. [18]
You don't need to be the loudest voice in the room, just the most persuasive. [19]
Stop trying to convince people to change. The harder you push, the more they resist. Leading with mandates often backfires. [5][19]
Most development plans fail because they're too complex. A simple framework that fits on a Post-it note is more likely to succeed.
Take control of your first 90 days. Smart new managers don't wait for HR; they have a plan to accelerate their own impact. [5]
Don't mistake the symptoms for the root causes. Diagnose problems deeply to create effective plans for improvement. [21]
Good work habits are underrated. Consistency over time is what ultimately yields results. [21]
Manage your energy, time, and focus. Avoid getting lost in long-term strategy or drowning in details while no one is guiding the ship. [19]
Motivation is tied to impact. People want to have an impact on things they care about. The more detached the work is from the core mission, the harder it is to motivate the team. [15]
You can't change people at "business speed." People evolve slowly, so it's far more effective to hire for alignment from the start rather than trying to mold someone into a role. [15]

Learn more:

Lessons from Dave Kline

On Leadership vs. Management

On Delegation

On Setting Expectations

On Feedback

On Team and Culture

On Hiring and Promotions

On Personal Growth and Self-Awareness

On Productivity and Impact

Written by Antoine Buteau

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