Management Careers

I've reviewed 2,000+ resumes this year. Avoid these mistakes that 90% make. 1. Generic Summaries ❌ "Motivated professional seeking opportunities to leverage my skills..." ✅ "Marketing Director who increased e-commerce revenue 47% through data-driven campaigns and strategic partnerships." 2. Missing Numbers ❌ "Led large team and improved sales." ✅ "Led 15-person sales team to deliver $3.2M in new business, exceeding targets by 28%." 3. Cluttered Formatting ❌ Tiny margins, dense paragraphs, and multiple fonts. ✅ Clean headers, consistent bullet points, and enough white space for easy scanning. 4. Outdated Information ❌ Listing your high school achievements and every job since college. ✅ Your most relevant accomplishments from the past 10-15 years that showcase your career progression. 5. RESPONSIBILITY LISTS ❌ "Responsible for managing client relationships and handling complaints." ✅ "Retained 98% of key accounts and turned 3 dissatisfied clients into top referral sources." 6. ATS-UNFRIENDLY DESIGN ❌ Creative formats with graphics, text boxes, and unique fonts. ✅ Clean, standard formatting with relevant keywords that match the job description. Your resume has 7 seconds to make an impression.  Use these tips to make them count. Share this to help others level up their resume! 📈 And follow me for more advice like this.

Nothing impacts leadership success more than how you start. Here's my Week 1 Playbook for New Managers: There are many reasons more managers fail than succeed. And those mistakes often start in week 1. Study and bookmark this playbook. It'll help you skip my mistakes. And the ones I've seen hundreds of managers make. 5 COMMON NEW MANAGER MISTAKES ❌ Racing to prove value • Rushing changes to show impact • Undermining emerging trust ❌ Skipping 1:1 connections • Relying on group meetings • Missing crucial context ❌ Leading with authority • Flexing positional power • Creating resistance ❌ Focusing on tasks • Diving into operational details • Missing subtle team dynamics ❌ Promising quick fixes • Making commitments without context • Setting impossible expectations 5 WISE NEW MANAGER MOVES: ✅ Study before stepping in • Review metrics, plans, org charts • Enter conversations prepared ✅ Lead with vulnerability • Share past failures openly • Build psychological safety ✅ Invest in relationships • Meet everyone individually • Learn names + personal details ✅ Gather intelligence • Ask powerful questions • Listen more than talk ✅ Communicate constantly • Share insights and questions • Keep team in the transparency loop The biggest surprise in Week 1: You're leading from behind. • Be respectful. • Be curious. • Be you. And you'll be rewarded with trust and momentum in Week 2. PS - Even if you're not a new manager, most of this playbook can be used to reset with a struggling team. Fresh eyes = A fresh start. If this was helpful: ♻️ Please repost to help other leaders start strong ✅ Follow Dave Kline for more practical management insights.

Every task that comes to me is urgent and important. Sound familiar? This is a challenge many of us face daily. Early in my career, prioritization was relatively straightforward—my manager told me what to focus on. But as I grew, the game changed. Suddenly, I was managing a flood of requests, far more than I could handle, and the signals from others weren’t helpful. Everything was “important.” Everything was “urgent.” Often, it was both. To handle this effectively, I realized I needed to develop an internal prioritization compass. It wasn’t easy, but it was transformative. Here are 6 strategies to help you build your own: 1/ Be crystal clear on key goals Start by understanding your organization’s goals—at the company, department, and team levels. Attend organizational forums, departmental reviews, or leadership updates to stay informed. When in doubt, use your 1:1s with leaders to ask: What does success look like? 2/ Deeply understand KPIs Metrics guide decision-making, but not all metrics are equally valuable. Take the time to understand your team's or function's key performance indicators (KPIs). Know what they measure, what they mean, and how to assess their impact. 3/ Be assertive to protect priorities Not every task deserves your attention. Practice saying “no” or deferring requests that don’t align with key goals or metrics. Assertiveness is not about being inflexible—it’s about protecting your capacity to focus on what truly matters. 4/ Set and reset expectations Priorities change, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is working on misaligned tasks. Keep open communication with your manager and stakeholders about evolving priorities. When new demands arise, clarify and reset expectations. 5/ Use 1:1s to align with your manager Leverage your 1:1s as a strategic tool. Share your current priorities, validate them against your manager’s expectations, and discuss any conflicts or challenges. 6/ Clarify the escalation process When priorities conflict, don’t let disagreements linger. If you can’t agree quickly, escalate the issue to your manager. This avoids unnecessary churn, ensures trust remains intact, and keeps momentum focused on results. PS: You won’t always get it right—and that’s okay. Treat each misstep as an opportunity to refine your compass. What’s one tip you’ve used to prioritize when everything feels urgent? --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

Thinking about becoming a first-time manager? This is a common and difficult career crossroads. On one hand, management offers the ability to drive broader change, influence direction, and help a team grow. On the other hand, it can mean stepping away from hands-on technical work, potentially becoming “softer” in those skills over time. Many ICs deeply enjoy building and solving problems directly, while management shifts more energy toward people, processes, and strategy. To complicate things further, the decision is often a one-way door. Once someone transitions to management, it can be difficult (though not impossible) to return to an IC role at the same level of technical depth. You also don’t want to make the shift prematurely, before fully understanding the roles you’ll be managing. This dilemma is so common that I’ve literally mentored hundreds of people who have struggled with it. The fear of making the wrong choice, losing technical skills, or realizing too late that management isn’t the right fit can be paralyzing. If you find yourself in this situation, my best advice is to recognize that you are not alone. Many great people struggle with this, and companies often don’t have the structure to help guide the decision. You need to rely on yourself. Ask around, and you’ll find others who have been through it. More importantly, there’s no need to rush. If possible, test the waters first: lead projects, mentor junior engineers, or take on informal leadership roles before committing to direct reports. Above all, trust that the right decision will come to you in time. If you feel torn or pressured, it’s likely because you see real value in both paths, and that’s a good thing. Give yourself permission to take your time, gather experiences, and listen to your own instincts. Clarity often comes when you stop forcing a decision and allow yourself to consider what you truly need to feel happy. #Leadership #CareerGrowth #TechCareers #EngineeringLeadership #ManagementDevelopment

It was unbelievably painful. When I became a first-time manager years ago, I made all the mistakes in the book. I thought I was on the right track. In reality, something had gone awry. By avoiding hard conversations about quality of work, I hadn’t setup my report for success. And when her presentation to senior leaders fell flat, I felt devastated. I knew it was my fault. Here’s 3 things I wish I knew as a new manager: 𝟭/ 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿 I focused on building rapport (good manager), but delayed giving candid feedback to my report about her work output (bad manager). I was avoiding confrontation—procrastinating until the “right moment” struck (never did). Since then, I’ve learned to lean into the discomfort. If there’s a performance concern, sit down privately with your report, explain the concern openly, point to specific pieces of work, share examples of what “good” looks like, and invite them to give their feedback. 𝟮/ 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 The beauty and curse of managing people is that each person is a unique combination of skills, motivations, and behavior. While I can “get out of the way” for certain skilled and motivated high-performers, the same approach would be a disaster for reports who are struggling due to weaker skills. The challenge is to listen and observe your report intently—so you understand which style to use to help them perform at the next level. 𝟯/ 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 As a manager, my reports frequently raise concerns about other people. Early on, I would immediately jump into problem-solving mode. This got me overwhelmed. Fast. Later, I learned to first ask, “Have you talked to the person about your concern?” 80% of the time, the answer is no. Then I would make it my mission to coach my report to independently resolve their conflict. If I succeeded, they’d be empowered to handle a wider range of situations on their own. **** P.S. If you’re making a change, I coach tech professionals to make career transitions and build wealth abroad. Slide into my DMs and join my past clients at companies like Google, Meta, Square, & Stripe.

This is what I do if I had to apply for a Product Manager job like this one. 3 things I do to stand out in my applications 👇 The most important thing about your job applications is that your resume and LinkedIn are not for you. It is to help recruiters and hiring managers see that you have the experience and skills they need. 🔵 Relevant accomplishments on your resume >> Anything else Every job description has "Required" qualifications. This is EXACTLY what hiring managers are looking for and you should prioritize writing accomplishments related to, ideally, every single one of them. Adding keywords in a skills section is not enough. Saying that you have skills in "Leadership", or "Roadmap" without context is meaningless. Instead, use the X-Y-Z formula: "Accomplished [X], as Measured by [Y] by doing [Z]" to show that I have the experience they need. For example: "Increased the usage of [feature] by n%, by leading a team of engineers and designers to develop, A/B test, and launch a new user onboarding flow." In a single sentence, I mix multiple concepts and PM keywords that I find in the job description: → Launching → Leadership → A/B testing → Developing a feature → Working cross-functionally The more tailored your resume to the job description, the higher your chances of getting a call for an interview. 🟠 Required Qualifications >> Preferred Qualifications >> Everything else Have you applied to a job that has REQUIRED 2+ years of experience in PM but you don't have any and wonder why you didn't get a call for an interview? Yes, not meeting the required/basic qualifications may be a strong reason to not get an interview. When you tailor your resume to a job description, make sure that you are prioritizing in this order: 1 → Basic / Required qualifications 2 → Preferred qualifications 3 → Responsibilities 4 → Anything else Showing that you have the required qualifications in the form of accomplishments on your resume should be your top priority! 🟢 Tailoring for every job can be exhausting, here's a different approach Tailoring your resume is not easy and can quickly become overwhelming. I divide my experience into types of PM jobs for which I can be a good fit. For example, I may want a marketplace 0 to 1 job... but I don't have that experience so it'll be hard to tailor my resume to that. So, I focus on my strengths: → AI/ML for either consumer or Enterprise → Consumer Growth → B2B Platforms (a bit of a stretch) Instead of tailoring my resume to every job I apply for, I create one resume for AI&ML, a second one for Consumer Growth, and a third one for B2B Platform. 🚀 Networking, networking, networking Needless to say, I don't rely only on applying for a job. I spend as much time networking with recruiters and hiring managers on LinkedIn. I focus on a key message: → Why am I reaching out → Which job did I apply to → Why am I a good fit --- 🚀 Need help with your PM resume or interview? Check out my comment below!

It’s been nearly a decade since we wrapped our 10-year study of executive transitions—2,700 leaders, 10 years of data, and one powerful insight: The most successful executives—those who drive results and earn trust—share four defining traits. Not one or two. All four. They know the whole business. They make great decisions. They stay curious about their industry. And they build deep, trusting relationships. What’s changed in the years since? Honestly, not much. If anything, the stakes have grown higher. With AI transforming work, economic shifts redefining priorities, and strategy cycles moving faster than ever, these four traits are even more essential. Most executives I coach don’t fail because they lack effort or intellect. They fail because they overplay one strength at the expense of others—or they underestimate how hard it is to shift from functional leadership to enterprise leadership. If you’re wondering where to grow next, ask yourself: 🔹 Do I know how the business fits together? 🔹 Do my decisions instill confidence or cause confusion? 🔹 Am I tuned in to the external forces shaping our market? 🔹 And do people genuinely trust me? We can learn all four. And we should. Because leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room—it’s about helping others do the smartest work of their careers. Read the full findings here in Harvard Business Review: https://lnkd.in/eJihWSq #leadership #executivedevelopment #trust #strategy #growth

I was trembling, stomach twisted - I had to lay someone off for the first time. He was such a great guy with so much potential, but he just wasn't delivering what we needed. I felt extra torn because the number one thing people appreciate about working at Mighty Digits is how much we care about them. How am I supposed to tell a man with a wife, 3 children, and a mother-in-law that he's losing his primary income? This moment shaped my journey as a business owner and taught me how vital it is to let someone go when they aren't performing. For a long time, I didn't know how or understand why. ➡️ I HAD IT COMPLETELY BACKWARDS "Hire Slow, Fire Fast" was the mantra I heard everywhere. But that didn't make sense to me. When you fire someone, you disrupt their livelihood and affect their family's financial situation. So my approach was the opposite: "Hire fast, Fire slow." Show employees you have a spine by treating them well, and they'll give you more output and dedication. Until I realized I had it completely reversed. ➡️ WHY QUICK ACTION IS ESSENTIAL Someone told me: "You're not just hurting the underperformer by keeping them - you're hurting everyone else on the team." At first, I didn't resonate with that. But after letting a few people go, I finally understood. You're not the only person who works with an underperformer. Your entire staff is exposed to their work. Pairing an underperformer with an amazing performer adds pressure and workload to the performer, leaving them frustrated and at risk of leaving. You not only have someone underperforming - you diminish the well-being of your best people. ➡️ HOW TO FIRE THE RIGHT WAY I learned you can act quickly without burning bridges or destroying culture: — Give ample feedback and notice before taking action — Put them on a Performance Improvement Plan as a last resort — Offer reasonable severance with a separation agreement — Tell them they're better off somewhere else (usually true) — Offer to provide a recommendation focusing on their good qualities When you don't fire correctly, it can be one of your worst mistakes as a business owner. Between hits to company culture, lawsuits, and disgruntled employees, treating someone unfairly creates incentives for retaliation. ➡️ THE BALANCE It's a healthy sign when organizations let people go each year. Companies constantly evolve, and not everyone remains a good fit. But it's important to show staff you don't see them as just output machines - you appreciate them and invest in them. How you demonstrate that balance makes the biggest difference. === To me, learning to fire properly was one of the hardest but most important leadership lessons. You can protect your team's well-being while still treating departing employees with respect. What's your experience with letting someone go? Have you ever had to fire someone? Share your thoughts below 👇

I've had the pleasure to work with hundreds of managers across Fortune 500s, startups, and solo ventures. Among the best ones I've seen, 5 traits consistently stand out. 1. They run meetings like pros Meetings are their Olympic sport. The most effective managers treat them like high-stakes performances: - They send the agenda early. And make sure everyone sticks to them like a contract. - They warm up the room with questions like: "What's one win from this week?" or "One word to describe how you're feeling?" - Afterward, they thank people, assign action items, and review what worked. — 2. They handle difficult employees fast - They set expectations upfront. The best managers clarify their communication style, how they define success, and what kind of culture they're building. - They address issues fast. The moment something feels "off," they name it with kindness. I've heard them say: "I noticed X—can we talk about what happened?" - They use a simple 1:1 formula: "What's working? What's not? What do you need from me?" They ask this regularly to avoid blind spots. — 3. They manage in every channel The smartest managers have mastered communication across channels: - They share their preferred channels: "Slack for quick stuff, email for context, call to brainstorm" - They map their team's preferences too. If someone hates phone calls but thrives on docs - they honor that. - For remote teams: They turn updates into energy checks - "Where are you stuck? How can I support you?" — 4. They use a 60-minute team builder This is my favorite management tool I've witnessed - ever. They block 60 minutes at their next offsite or Friday stand-up and ask their team to write down: 1. One skill they love using 2. One task they dread 3. One strength they think no one knows they have Then they share and reflect. I've watched them spot hidden talents, reduce burnout, and spark better collaboration. — 5. They manage up The most successful managers start by managing their own manager effectively. They've learned to: - Decode their boss's style: Are they fast or reflective? Data-first or story-first? They watch how their manager communicates and match their rhythm. - Proactively share wins—before they're asked. They use subject lines like "Quick Win" or "Here's what's working." - Ask their manager for preferences: "How do you like to be updated?" "What's the best way to flag something urgent?" What strikes me most about these managers is how intentional they are about everything - from the words they choose in meetings to the way they structure feedback.  They've turned management from reactive firefighting into proactive relationship building.

🚨 Tired of employees leaving? Maybe it’s the manager🚨 A good manager doesn't lead with fear or ego. They lead with vision, empathy, and consistency. 58% of employees say they’ve left a job because of a poor manager. 84% say poorly trained managers create unnecessary stress at work. Here’s what separates good management from the kind that drains teams and crushes morale: 👍 Good Management: Leads by example — models the behavior they expect Gives clear direction while trusting the team to execute Takes responsibility when things go wrong Encourages feedback and actually listens Celebrates others and shares the spotlight Cares about people beyond the work they do Invests in growth, development, and well-being 🧨 Bad Management: Sets unrealistic demands while not following them themselves Micromanages every task and second-guesses the team Blames others when things go south Shuts down feedback or punishes dissent Takes all the credit when things go well Sees employees as “resources,” not people Avoids mentorship and only focuses on output ✅ How good managers connect with their team: Have real conversations — not just performance reviews. Recognize wins, big or small — appreciation goes a long way. Ask what support looks like — and mean it. Encourage professional growth — even if it means growing beyond their current role. Check in without micromanaging — trust builds autonomy. 💡 Employees don’t leave companies. They leave bad management. If you want retention, engagement, and innovation, you must lead with people in mind. #Leadership #Teamwork #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth