You were a great manager of ICs.
You knew the work. You could jump in when things broke. You could teach because you'd done the job yourself. When someone struggled, you showed them how. Your expertise was your authority.
Now you manage managers. Five of them, maybe. Each running teams in domains you've never worked in. Finance. Engineering. Legal. Marketing. Operations.
You've never done their jobs. You can't teach them how to do it. You can't jump in when things break.
And so you feel it: the imposter moment.
"What value do I add? They know more than me in every domain. What right do I have to supervise them?"
(Caveat: I'm sharing what worked for me across a few situations. I can differentiate correlation from causation only 50% of the times - so take this with appropriate salt.)
The Syllabus Changed.
Here's what no one tells you: you're not supposed to know more than them.
That was the old syllabus. When you managed ICs, your expertise was the job. Now it's irrelevant — and if you keep leaning on it, you'll fail.
The syllabus changed. Not a difficulty increase. A different exam entirely.
The Three Failure Modes.
When managers don't make this shift, they fall into one of three traps.
The Overcompensator.
Feels: "I deserve this role. I need to prove I belong."
Does: Micromanages details they don't understand. Pretends to have expertise they lack. Has opinions on everything. Makes every conversation about proving their value.
Result: Their managers stop bringing problems early. Information gets hidden. Trust erodes.
The Abdicator.
Feels: "I don't know jack. Who am I to supervise them?"
Does: Hands off everything. Avoids tough conversations. Gets nervous when their own supervisor asks questions. Defers every decision to their reports.
Result: No one is steering. Cross-functional issues fester. Their managers feel unsupported.
The Pendulum.
Feels: Exhausted. Torn. Never sure which mode to be in.
Does: Micromanages Monday, goes hands-off Tuesday. Swings between extremes. Never finds stable ground.
Result: Their managers never know what to expect. Whiplash becomes the culture.
