Our careers often follow a distinct progression - from building a strong theoretical foundation to navigating strategic leadership. In my subjective experience and with the handicap of being able to differentiate correlation from causation only 50% of the times here is the pattern i see repeat itself.
Here is my mental model that breaks down managers into three categories:
Type A (10%): The Mentors.
Genuinely invested in your growth
Want to see you rise higher than them
Actively develop their team members
Known for creating high-performing teams
Can transform one specialist into many
Type B (10%): The Adversaries.
Actively hinder growth
Can potentially damage careers
Fortunately, a small percentage
Type C (80%): The Indifferent Ones.
Neither harmful nor helpful
Usually unavailable due to being "too busy"
May actually be former Type A managers who got overloaded
🔄 The Type A to Type C Evolution: Here's the fascinating part - even great (Type A) managers often transform into Type C.
Here's how:
Success breeds more responsibility
A great manager gets assigned more teams/projects
With 6-8 people to manage, they can't provide the same quality time
While they want to help, bandwidth becomes the limiting factor
Their first few team members might have gotten excellent mentorship, but later additions get less attention
Eventually, they become effectively indifferent due to overload
🎲 The Career Reality Check: Getting a manager is like rolling a dice - you can't control the outcome. But here's the key: you need a dominant strategy that works regardless of what you roll.
💡 Strategic Takeaway for Your Career:
Don't wait for the perfect manager.
Take control of your growth immediately.
Unless proven otherwise, assume you have a Type C manager.
Learn to thrive independently.
If you find a Type A manager early in their journey, consider it a bonus.
Remember: The only sustainable strategy is self-reliance.
🎯 Bottom Line:
The most successful professionals aren't the ones who got lucky with great managers - they're the ones who developed a growth strategy independent of their manager's type.
#CareerAdvice #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #WorkplaceDynamics #Management
Discovering Turiya@work@life
