The Uncomfortable Middle - Growing as a Director in Uncertain Times

Explore the challenges of stepping into a Director role during organizational upheaval in this 12-minute conference talk from LeadDev NYC. Navigate the complexities of sudden promotion during company downsizing, learning to manage managers while dealing with low morale and organizational restructuring. Discover strategies for leading teams with clashing dynamics as new processes are implemented, and understand how to push teams into healthy levels of discomfort that facilitate growth even during turbulent times. Learn from real experiences of managing the transition from individual contributor to manager roles, including the difficult decision-making process of moving a manager back to an individual contributor position. Gain insights into the unique challenges of growing as a leader of leaders during organizational turmoil, understanding that change cannot be rushed and requires patience and strategic thinking. Access practical takeaways for balancing process implementation with team dynamics, maintaining team morale during uncertain times, and developing leadership skills when suddenly responsible for managing other managers.